England cricketers reject multi-year contracts from ECB in favor of T20 leagues - Reports
England men's cricketers have reportedly turned down multi-year contracts offered by the England Cricket Board (ECB). The reported reason behind it is that the players believe they can earn more by playing in T20 leagues across the world.
The ECB planned to introduce new multi-year contracts with an increased match fee to ensure their top players prioritized international cricket over leagues. However, the cricketers were not satisfied with the offer made by the ECB. As a result, there will be further talks over the salaries before the players sign the contracts.
According to a report by The Telegraph, equality drive has resulted in cash shortage for England's board. The board announced equal match fee for men's and women's cricketers, which will cost them an extra £1.5 million.
Besides, the board also announced £2 million of funding for five charities, working with black and south Asian communities and state-educated children, which is why they are short on cash. The board also spent a lot on running The Hundred men's and women's competitions.
England cricketers have realized their market value, want higher match fees from ECB
The report further stated that although the board planned to increase the match fees for the men's players in the new multi-year contracts, the offers made to the players had the same amount. The English players have realized that they can earn more money by playing in foreign T20 competitions, which is why they turned down the offer from the board.
Negotiations between the board and the Team England Player Partnership were expected to end a few days ago, but the players are still waiting to see what the multi-year deals will offer to them.
It is pertinent to note that several top England players have been approached by IPL franchises for multi-year contracts. IPL teams own franchises in other leagues also. Players like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran have been targeted by the franchises.