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MELBOURNE: Several senior Australian cricketers are unhappy with the initial contract offers made by Cricket Australia (CA) for the 2026-27 season, according to reports.
A number of players have reportedly not yet agreed to sign the deals, raising fresh concerns over player payments in Australian cricket.
According to Cricinfo and Code Sports, at least five senior Australian players were left unimpressed after receiving the first offers in recent days.
The issue comes at a time when growing franchise leagues around the globe are offering players significantly higher salaries.
Earlier in the week, Australia Test captain Pat Cummins was reportedly offered a deal worth around A$4 million per year for the three seasons.
Under the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, up to 24 players can receive national contracts for the 2026-27 financial year.
Those contracted players share a base salary pool of more than A$21.9 million. Players are paid according to their importance and expected workload, with the lowest-ranked contracted player earning around A$360,000. Match fees and bonuses are paid separately.
However, several white-ball players reportedly believe they could earn more money by becoming freelance cricketers and playing in franchise leagues around the world instead of signing year-long CA contracts.
Players such as Marcus Stoinis and Tim David have avoided central contracts in recent years while continuing to play T20 leagues globally. Reports suggest some players are frustrated that international commitments limit their ability to join lucrative tournaments overseas.
Pat Cummins himself spoke about the issue earlier this year, saying that playing Australia’s Test series against Bangladesh in August could mean missing out on major earnings in England’s Hundred competition.
Meanwhile, another dispute is developing around the Big Bash League (BBL). A group of leading BBL players is reportedly unhappy after plans to privatize the league stalled, delaying discussions over improved salaries.
Australian players have long complained about being paid less than overseas stars in the BBL. Reports stated that foreign platinum players can earn around A$420,000, while many top Australian players receive between A$200,000 and A$300,000 despite having stronger T20 records.
The situation has become more serious with leagues such as the UAE’s ILT20 and South Africa’s SA20 offering massive contracts. Some Australian players have reportedly received offers worth around A$500,000 to play in the UAE this year.
READ: Pakistan to play intra-squad matches ahead of Australia series: reports
