TORONTO, 7 February 2003 — The economic tables have been turned at cricket’s World Cup in South Africa where normally wealthy Canada is a pauper and Third World Sri Lanka is a comparative fat cat, according to information reaching here.
Canadian players who reached Pretoria last week conceded that they are less paid as compared to other teams but skipper Joe Harris said money matters apart it’s an honor to play in the World Cup.
“This is certainly not an ideal situation. It has been a huge sacrifice, but is worthwhile as we only get to play in the World Cup once,” Harris was quoted as saying by The Toronto Star newspaper.
Harris and his 14 teammates have been paid just 2,000 Canadian dollars so far for the event and are getting by on a $40 per diem until the World Cup begins Feb. 8. Then they will get $75 a day. Canadian players are also getting $21 a day for laundry expenses. Harris said the hotel laundry is too expensive, so they are going elsewhere.
The winning team of the current World Cup will earn roughly Canadian $3 million with the runners-up assured of $1.2 million. As a team, Canada will earn $10,000 for a win in first-round group match, and is guaranteed $5,000 for a loss.
It will still return home with $30,000 in the event it loses all of its six matches. Yet, the debt-ridden Canadian Cricket Association (CCA) promised to pay the players 50 percent of all prize money it receives.
As compared to what the Canadians are getting, each Sri Lankan player is earning nearly $150,000 plus bonuses for win. Players for the majority of Test-playing nations receive roughly $80,000 a year from their respective national associations. And India’s Sachin Tendulkar, the master blaster of the cricket world, earns nearly $25 million a year from playing fee and endorsements.
Meanwhile, the CCA President Geoff Edwards said in Toronto Wednesday that he was unable to get sponsors ahead of the World Cup and that led to his association’s financial woes.
