England cricketers agree to 15% pay cut as ECB incurs £100 million losses due to COVID-19

World champions England have agreed to take a 15 per cent pay cut by the board due to Coronavirus induced losses. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have estimated a total loss of nearly 100 million pounds with the amount predicted to increase to 200 million pounds by next year. The cricketing body had announced downsizing last month by cutting down 62 jobs as a part of cost-cutting measures. The annual contracts, issued on October 1, are believed to be worth 650,000 pounds for Test players and 275,000 pounds for limited-overs' players. 

Director of men's cricket Ashley Giles thanked the players and the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP) for showing maturity and responsibility by agreeing to the pay cut. 

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'Great maturity and responsibility'

"I would like to thank the players and TEPP for their collaboration, which has enabled us to reach this agreement. 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," Giles said in an official statement on Friday. 

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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," he added. 

TEPP Chairman Richard Bevan also appreciated the role played by the players in this time of crisis. "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," Bevan said. 

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