Counties paying paying players less than minimum wage, claim PCA

The Professional Cricketers' Association has claimed a dozen county players are being paid or offered terms below the national minimum wage.

Many of the game's top players, including several England internationals, are currently earning highly lucrative sums playing in the Indian Premier League.

But the PCA says it has discovered at least six unnamed counties using unapproved employment contracts in the past 12 months, with nine professional players being paid below the national minimum wage and three others offered similar terms.

The national minimum wage in the United Kingdom stands at £7.83 for anybody over 25, £7.38 for those aged between 21 and 24 and £5.90 for 18 to 20-year-olds.

PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell said: "We need to make sure we protect the players' rights to a fair contract and it seems to me that some players are being exploited by their counties.

"It is easy for players and in particular those just making their way in the game to feel under pressure to sign deals below minimum wage. They can be influenced that if they do not sign then their dream of playing professionally will be over.

"This is an area we are working really hard on to put right and we have achieved some positive results so far.

"However, this should not be an issue within professional cricket and we are fighting to stamp out unapproved contracts within the game.

"I know that the England and Wales Cricket Board share our concerns and we are working with them to ensure this is not the case in the county game going forward."

Tess Lanning, director of the Living Wage Foundation, which sets the rate for the so-called living wage, which is higher than the national living wage, said: "The basic minimum all employers must do is comply with the law.

"Responsible employers go further than this, to pay the real Living Wage based on what people need to make ends meet. No cricket clubs have yet committed to pay the real Living Wage.

"Cricket epitomises the national sense of fair play, and many fans will feel this doesn't reflect the values of the sport.

"With 5.5m people paid less than the real Living Wage, we need to see more employers from this and all sectors join the movement for the simple idea that a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay."