Cricket Australia Chairman Wally Edwards has responded to media reports relating to speculative plans to establish a world cricket body by pointing out that Australia’s elite players currently earn similar amounts of money to those purportedly floated by the rival league.

As details of plans by the India-based Essel Group, founded and owned by billionaire businessman Dr Shubhash Chandra, to establish a worldwide cricket body in competition to the ICC continue to emerge there have been reports of huge potential pay cheques for high-profile Australia players.

Fairfax Media reported today that current Test captain Michael Clarke and Test and limited-overs opener David Warner could receive offers in the vicinity of $50 million in return for signing a 10-year contract if the highly-speculative Essel venture were to go ahead.

However Edwards, in Melbourne for a scheduled Cricket Australia Board meeting today, indicated that as lofty as that figure appeared ($5 million per year) it was not significantly different to the current earning power of Australia’s top players believed to be around $4 million per annum.

He also noted that any moves by players away from the existing world cricket structure would carry significant ramifications for the wellbeing for the game at domestic and grassroots level in Australia.

“We are aware of the reports around a rebel league and they remain highly speculative, particularly given the proposed scale and complexity,” Edwards said today.

“Australian cricket has never been in better health.

“Record crowds, television audiences, grassroots participation and commercial support continue to drive record revenue which means player payments have never been higher and will only increase.

“As it stands, Australia’s cricketers are the highest-paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today’s media reports.

“But our pay structure is broader than that.

“It’s about supporting professional cricket at both international and domestic level.

“The success of international cricket directly subsidises the wages of state cricketers.

“Any proposed rebel league would jeopardise that.

“Most of Australian cricket’s revenue is reinvested back into the sport, strengthening it for the 1.1 million players at grassroots level around the country.

“We remain firmly focused on growing the game in Australia for fans and participants, while at international level we will be staunch in working with the ICC and other member countries to protect the interests of the game globally.”