Financial rewards for N.Z. cricketers

Press, 17 June 1980, Page 38

Financial rewards for N.Z. cricketers

By R. T. BRITTENDEN Next summer, for the first time, New Zealand cricketers will be playing not only for the honour of their country, and the sort of expenses which do little more than make tours possible. In Australia, the financial rewards will be high — the New Zealanders will be living in the rarefied financial atmosphere engendered by the Kerry Packer organisation and its subsequent alliance with the Australian Board of Control. In theory at least, it will be possible for an individual player to contribute nearly $30,000 to the team’s earnings. New Zealand will play three test matches against Australia. The winning team I in each match will receive $16,000, the losers $4OOO. So if New Zealand performed a minor miracle and won all the tests, there would be

$48,000 income, or $3OOO for each of the 16 players. In each test, there is $lOOO for the man of the match, and the “player of the series” will be presented by Benson and Hedges with a set of gold goblets valued at $lOOO. After this test series, the three matches between Australia and India, and the limited-over tournaments are over, the “international cricketer of the year” will be selected. This fortunate fellow will be awarded a Holden Commodore car, valued at $12,000. New Zealand will also play in the one-day series — five matches with Australia and five with India. Australia also plays India five times, and then there is a final series of five matches between the two top teams. In the 10 preliminary matches, the winning team each time receives $3OOO, the loser $l5OO, the man of the match $5OO. From the 15

r preliminary matches, there is a “man of the series” who 5 will win a set of the gold •goblets. f Should New Zealand win 1 a place in the final, and i then take that series, the 1 players would be richer by $32,000. The runner-up will » receive $16,000, the man of - the final series, $2OOO. - The cornucopia is not i quite exhausted there. Over I all the one-day games, there 1 are two further winners, - with prizes of $2OOO each, i They are for the batsman • and bowler with the best strike rates — for the bat- > sman, runs are divided by ■ balls received; for the bowli er, deliveries are divided by • wickets taken. ! In all, it will be possible 1 for the players of one side ; to earn $126,000. The very minimum a team will take r away is $27,000. And there 1 is the added advantage of f them being Australian dol- > lars.