England men's centrally-contracted players take 15 per cent pay cut due to pandemic

England men's players' have agreed a reduction in their pay, which is made up of retainers, match fees and win bonuses - the change taking effect for the 12-month period from October 1

Image: England's Ollie Pope (L), batting with skipper Joe Root (R), was awarded his first central contract in September

England men's centrally-contracted players have agreed a 15 per cent pay cut for the coming year in a bid to soften the financial blow inflicted on cricket by COVID-19.

In September, the ECB announced 62 redundancies and reported that the health crisis has cost the wider game £100m so far - a figure that could double in the future should fans not return to grounds in the short-term.

In response, the England men's players' have agreed a reduction in their pay, which is made up of retainers, match fees and win bonuses - the change taking effect for the 12-month period from October 1.

Ashley Giles, managing director, England Men's Cricket, said: "I would like to thank the players and TEPP for their collaboration, which has enabled us to reach this agreement.

England Chris Woakes said he was sad to see people lose their jobs at the England and Wales Cricket Board

"The relationship with our men's players and their representatives (TEPP) is strong, and we need to recognise that our players, led by captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, have conducted themselves with great maturity and responsibility throughout this challenging time.

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"We now want to build on this agreement and work together on a number of areas relating to player welfare, particularly mental health, which remains a high priority for all of us, as we continue to navigate a path through this pandemic."

The Press Association reports that annual contracts were understood to have been worth £650,000 for Test players
and £275,000 for white-ball players in 2019/20.

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Richard Bevan, chairman, Team England Player Partnership, said: "These are unprecedented times and once again the players have shown that they fully appreciate the important role they play in helping cricket emerge from this pandemic in as strong a position as possible. In agreeing to this revised remuneration package, they have shown great responsibility and unity with the wider game.

"TEPP would like to place on record our appreciation to the ECB for their cooperative approach in agreeing a way forward throughout these challenging circumstances."

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