Cricket

Ireland's cricketers have secured a significant pay raise after Cricket Ireland (CI) and the Irish Cricketers' Association (ICA) reached an agreement on the terms of central contracts. The deal comes after a period of uncertainty, with players initially rejecting an offer from the board and facing the prospect of playing in the upcoming T20 World Cup on expired contracts.The new contracts, which will be issued immediately, will apply until the end of February 2025. CI chief executive Warren Deutrom confirmed that players have received a substantial pay increase. He emphasized that the board has always prioritized rewarding senior men's and women's players for their contributions to the growth of cricket in Ireland.Deutrom stated that the players have received the largest share of the new funding allocated to Irish cricket this year. He believes that this is appropriate, as it recognizes the players' hard work and success. However, he also stressed the importance of balancing player compensation with the need to fund other aspects of the sport, such as grassroots development and provincial cricket.Despite the delay in finalizing the contracts, Deutrom emphasized that relations between CI and the ICA remain strong. He attributed the delay to the late approval of the budget and the complexity of the new contract model. However, he praised the positive and collaborative approach taken by both parties in reaching an agreement.Cecelia Joyce, the ICA president, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the negotiations. She highlighted the unity among the players throughout the process and emphasized the significance of the agreement for professional cricketers in Ireland. She believes it will provide greater transparency and clarity regarding player compensation and contracting structures.CI has not yet announced the list of contracted players for the 2024-25 season. However, further details about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and contracts are expected to be released in due course.

Ireland's men's cricket team faces the prospect of playing in next month's T20 World Cup on expired central contracts as negotiations between Cricket Ireland (CI) and the Irish Cricketers' Association (ICA) continue.CI announced its central contracts for 2023-24 in March 2023, with 14 men's players signing two-year deals and seven others signing one-year contracts. However, those contracts expired at the end of February, and players have been playing under the terms of those deals since, which have rolled over indefinitely until negotiations for 2024-25 are complete.According to The Irish Times, male players rejected CI's most recent contract offer last week, while centrally-contracted female players delayed their decision until after the recently-concluded T20 World Cup Qualifiers.Ireland's men have a busy schedule over the next two weeks, playing seven T20Is between May 10-24 against Pakistan, Netherlands, and Scotland. They will then fly to the United States for the T20 World Cup, where they face India, Pakistan, USA, and Canada in Group A.A spokesperson for CI declined to comment while negotiations were ongoing, and the ICA did not respond when contacted by ESPNcricinfo. It is understood that players are seeking pay rises, which will be back-dated to March if approved and when contracts are eventually signed.CI recently announced its men's and women's home fixtures for 2024, following a long delay due to the late sign-off of their budget. Funding and logistical issues have caused the cancellation of an incoming men's tour by Australia and a men's white-ball series against Zimbabwe, while their men's 'home' series against South Africa will be staged in Abu Dhabi.