Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has slammed Cricket Australia for not giving any cash reward to the Indian cricket team after the visitors won 2-1 in the One-Day International series against host Australia.
On Friday, Man of the Series, MS Dhoni, and Man of the Match, Yuzvendra Chahal, were given $500 (US) each for their performances. Both the players decided to donate the prize money.
However, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar said he believes Virat Kohli-led Indian team should have been handsomely rewarded.
“What is $500? And it’s a pity that the team has got only a trophy. They (organisers) earn so much money through broadcast rights. Why can’t they give good prize money to the players? After all, players are the sole reason for the sport getting huge money (from sponsors),” Gavaskar said while speaking on Indian broadcaster Sony Six.
Sunil Gavaskar Source: AAP
It was India’s first bilateral ODI series win in Australia at the back of a historic victory in the Border-Gavaskar Test series.
Mr Gavaskar said the players deserved a share of the revenue generated.
“Look at the prize money being given away at the Wimbledon [tennis championship]. It’s phenomenal. The players are key in generating money, so they must be rewarded handsomely,” he said.
Amit Shah, a Mumbai-based freelance sports writer and player agent says prize money wouldn’t have been on the Indian players’ minds.
“Whether it’s $500 or $5,000, tournament sponsors pay that money and with Warner and Smith missing, sponsors wouldn’t want to loosen their purse strings,” Mr Shah told SBS Punjabi.
“And the players [Dhoni and Chahal] won’t care a lot for prize money, what they care for is playing cricket and winning,” he said.
SBS Punjabi has contacted Cricket Australia for comment.
Prize money in cricket
In most cricket tournaments/series where prize money is given, it is set in advance. It’s mostly the International Cricket Council tournaments where prize money is offered.
As the winner of the last ICC Cricket World Cup, Australia bagged $3.97 million (US) in prize money. Otherwise, it’s generally up to the cricket bodies to give out cash bonuses/rewards to players.
India’s BCCI announced a cash reward of $30,000 per match for the players who played in the Test series against Australia that was India’s first Test series victory in Australia.
Source: Reuters
Mr Shah says it's rather uncommon for organisers to decide to dole out cash for a visiting team if it hadn't been agreed upon in advance.
Prize money in Tennis
Most Indian cricketers are known to make the bulk of their money from brand endorsement, advertising and match fees and performance bonuses are only a small part of the start cricketers’ total emoluments.
But some other sports, such as tennis, offer hugely attractive prize money and earnings of even the top cricketers would pale in comparison to it.
The 2019 Australian Open tennis tournament which is currently underway in Melbourne is offering $4.1 million in prize money to the men’s and women’s singles winners.
Tournament organisers say this year’s total prize money $62.5 million is 14 per cent up from the previous year.
Source: Getty Images
“The players are the stars of the show. They bring in the crowds and fill the stadiums, they inspire the next generation to pick up a racquet, and the rest of us to always keep trying, and push the boundaries of what is possible.
“For all of these things and more, we invest significant resources into looking after the players,” Australian Open Tournament Director CEO Craig Tiley said in a statement.
