“The Labor Movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed.” – Clarence Darrow
Many cricketing nations have domestic professional players’ associations, such as the PCA in England and Wales, the ACA in Australia, the WIPA for West Indies cricketers.
The newly-rebranded World Cricketers’ Association (formerly FICA) was formed in 1998 to coordinate amongst these groups and also to represent all players in global forums on issues that cut across national boundaries.
But as is often the case whenever workers self-organize, throughout the history of cricket’s labor movement, players have faced resistance and opposition from powerful interests. This even continues today in cricketing countries without players’ associations.
On this episode, Tom Moffat, CEO of the WCA joins us for a fascinating chat about his organization, the varying climate for players in different parts of the world, and some of the key issues on concerning players’ associations today, including:
- The need for global scheduling windows
- Cricket’s multi-employer system
- Ownership consolidation in cricket (i.e. IPL teams)
- Women’s cricket
- And much more
Transcript
Zee: And we’re live with Tom Moffat, who is the CEO of the newly rebranded World Cricketers Association. I’m so excited to have him on. Tom, thank you for joining us.
Tom Moffat: Thanks, Zee, great to be here.
Tell us about the WCA and what it does
Zee: So Tom, you are the CEO of the WCA, formerly known as the FICA. For those in our audience who are not familiar with the WCA, even in its previous incarnation, can you just tell us a little bit about the organization, what it is, how it works, and how it works with other parts of the cricketing world?
Tom Moffat: Sure. So we’re now the World Cricketers’ Association, as you say, formerly FICA. And FICA really started in the late 90s in 1998 as a collaboration between the Professional Cricketers Association in England and the Australian Cricketers Association in Australia, who came together and recognised that players in our sport needed a voice and a say on some of the issues that impacted them at global level and around the global tables of power in our sport.
And that was really the genesis of FICA, which has now obviously changed its name to World Cricketers’ Association. So since that time, we’ve grown to now represent 14 countries and the players across 14 countries, beyond those additional, beyond the original two who it started with. And really the role has remained the same since then to make sure that players have a voice and a say at global level and that we’re also supporting the growth and development and strength of the domestic players associations around the world, of which there are now quite a number in different countries.
What are some of the major issues facing players and players associations today around the world?
Zee: Great. So jumping right into it, from where you sit, what are some of the major issues facing players and players associations today around the world that you are spending a lot of your time on?
Tom Moffat: I think, look, we really focus on, we’re player driven in everything that we do. And we speak to the players often, we survey them often around the world. And part of our governance is also our player advisory group, which is sat on by many of the best players in the world. So guys like Pat Cummins, Chris Woakes, Jason Holder, Hayley Matthews, Heather Knight, those kind of people, really guide and influence the direction of our organization.
So we go where the players want us to go. And we largely focus on advocating for their views and representing their views in various global forums. So whether that’s on things like the structure of the game and scheduling and how it all hangs together at global level, that’s a key issue for the players. And we’ve just met with a number of the teams in New York and Barbados during the Men’s T20 World Cup.
And that’s a significant issue for players is the schedule and the structure of the game. Equally, as the game evolves and continues to become probably more of a football model and a club based model with players and certainly the best players in the world, dotting around to various different domestic leagues. There are a number of new issues that come with that for players. So contracting structures and how contracts work, making sure those contracts are enforceable and players get paid and non -payment issues we see a lot around the world. And also catering for the players welfare and development needs in an increasingly global labour market for the sport as well and making sure that they’re looked after in what’s a pretty short term and precarious career path. So they’re probably, they’re three or four of the main things that we’re focused on guided by the players and their associations around the world.
How big is the WCA?
Zee: Great, so I have so many questions already. Back to your organization though, how big is it other than the players, association representatives, both players as well as executives from those organizations, who else is a part of the core WCA? Well, let’s start with that.
Tom Moffat: Sure, so look, our board is composed of the heads of all the domestic players associations around the world. So that’s always been the governance model for FICA, now WCA. And also I mentioned previously the player advisory groups which sit together and come together to guide us on player specific issues also. But around the world, there’s now 11 domestic players associations that are established and have all become part of our group.
And there are also some other groups who have joined WCA and have come directly into WCA through our commercial program as well. So that’s really our governance structure. And we’re really keen to make sure that we’ve got voices from around the world and all different parts of the cricketing landscape. The players that we represent come from all four corners of the globe. And we need to make sure that we are around our board table and that all decisions are made in a way that caters for all players around the world, not just those in a couple of countries as well.
Where are your headquarters?
Zee: Got it. And you happen to be headquartered in Australia, is that right?
Tom Moffat: We are. So we’ve really got two main hubs, one’s in London at the Oval and the other one’s here in Adelaide where I’m sitting at the moment to make sure that we’ve got a presence in both hemispheres. There’s quite a bit of travel involved in our work, obviously, being a global organization. But look, we’re a small engine, but we’ve got a presence in most corners of the globe operationally. And we’ve got people in different parts of the world. And we’re now set up to be pretty flexible and pretty remote with our work and to also make sure that we are, you know, we’re following where the game goes as well. So we’ve just been in New York and Barbados at the Men’s T20 World Cup. We’ll be in Bangladesh for the Women’s World Cup later this year. And our board comes together in person a couple of times a year as well to make sure that we are, you know, we’re face to face and we’re at cricket as well.
In which forums around the world do you advocate for players?
Zee: So before I dig into the specifics of a lot of the issues, when you say you’re advocating for the players in different forums around the world, can you talk about what those forums are? Like in front of whom and with whom do you do the advocacy? You mentioned a couple in passing, but let’s be more exhaustive.
Tom Moffat: Sure, so to get a bit more specific, we were ultimately originally set up to really be the players’ counterpoint at ICC level. And that’s evolved now to some of the forums that we’ve got, I say, in a voice in the ICC Men’s and Women’s Cricket Committees, for example. So we’ll prepare all of the players’ views from around the world and make sure they’re imported into those forums on cricket-specific issues.
And there’s also direct relationships there with the ICC and ICC management to make sure that some of the more off -field and technical issues that we’re ensuring the players have a voice and a say in those forums as well. One of the other ones we often speak in front of or involved in is the MCC World Cricket Committee. So we’re often asked to come and speak at those and make sure that we’re presenting the most accurate up-to-date player views into those forums as well. So look, they’re probably the two main of the global organisations in cricket, obviously the ICC is one, MCC World Career Committee is another, that’s got a broad remit. And then we’re the third, obviously representing the players at global level as well. So wherever there are decisions being made, we want to make sure that we’re presenting the players’ views accurately and advocating for them.
What is the player perspective on scheduling of T20 tournaments and workload?
Zee: So Tom, let me ask you about a couple of the specific kinds of important issues that you mentioned. One is obviously scheduling and structure, right? Especially with the growth of T20. So when it comes to that issue with scheduling, what tends to be the player sort of perspective that you represent? Because on the one hand, there are a ton of T20 tournaments all over the world.
On the other hand, these are, you know, private franchise competitions, unlike playing for your national team, a player does this out of their own sort of choosing, right? I, you know, read an article about David Wiese’s T20 schedule. I don’t know if you saw that, which is extraordinary, right? And he says he feels a bit like a mercenary sometimes, but he signs up for those. So when it comes to scheduling, what is the perspective that you and the players tend to have?
Tom Moffat: Sure. So the T20 landscape’s obviously grown significantly in the last 10, 15 years on the back of the evolution of the IPL in particular. And we’re now seeing leagues pop up in pretty much all parts of the world. And that’s a great thing for the game because it’s new opportunities, it’s new eyeballs for players. It’s a new earning opportunity as well. But one of the things that we speak to the players about a lot and the feedback is really strong is that we want to see a system in which that domestic leagues’ landscape can coexist with international cricket. Because what happens at the moment is there is effectively no structure bringing those two landscapes together in a really clear, coherent way. So we’re getting a full calendar of domestic leagues set up alongside a full calendar of international cricket, bilateral international cricket and ICC events. And ultimately what’s going to happen and what we’re already seeing around the world, starting with the smaller countries, but now ending up as an issue in the bigger countries as well, is of course, players in a short term career path are going to gravitate towards where the earnings opportunities are and where they can support their family and their home life best as well. And increasingly that’s in the domestic leagues landscape. And that’s obviously really positive in one way, but we also want to see international cricket stay strong and be best versus best whenever there is international competition on.
So we want to see a system in which they can coexist. The best way to do that, we think, is through global scheduling windows. And we know the players are really supportive of that. And most recent survey data and all the anecdotal feedback we’re getting from them is that that’s what they want to see as well. It’s not necessarily a healthy situation to have two competing side-by-side calendars. We want to see them come together in a really coherent structure set up with some global scheduling windows.
Look, there’s a fair bit of work that needs to go into actually what that looks like. And we don’t profess to have all of the solutions, but what we know is at a high level, that’s what we and the players want to see. And we think that’s the right thing for the sport ultimately as well.
How would a global scheduling window work?
Zee: So how would a global scheduling window work? Is that between sort of like mediating between the international and the domestic schedule or is it also among the different domestic schedules that are probably stepping all over each other?
Tom Moffat: I think ultimately we, there’s going to have to be some cricket competing with some cricket. And, you know, for us, we think that if you’re going to keep international cricket strong and best versus best, you know, ultimately that needs some clear air and some clear windows in the calendar to, to ensure that happens. Which naturally will mean that in the other windows where there’s domestic leagues being played, those domestic leagues or some of those domestic leagues are probably going to have to compete with each other – which that’s just gonna be a reality is something’s gonna have to give and everyone can’t have everything in a cricketing landscape. That’s a global landscape. Everyone obviously wants access to the best players in the world, which is a really good thing if you’re one of the best players in the world. But we also wanna make sure that we’re setting up the game sustainably in a way that can coexist into the future.
Is the current landscape the right one?
Zee: Yeah, that makes perfect sense. You know, one question about that, right? When you use the word leagues, right? Or not you, but when we as the cricketing world use the word leagues to describe these T20 franchise domestic events, right, I think it might be a little bit inaccurate, right? Because they’re not really leagues, they’re tournaments in the sense that, you know, if you compare it to football, right?
You’ve one club and one country anyway, at a time that you’re playing for, you can change. and you’re contracted to that club. You can be transferred. Cricket has a very different system, right? Where you have a lot of different tournaments and there are tournaments and often, the mechanism is an auction, right? Or a draft every year, like you’re not really necessarily signed to the team long term.
So there’s a gap between where cricket is and where football is, for example. What is your view? And obviously that’s challenging because each country has its own tournament, right? And tournaments are a month or two, not a full calendar season long. And that creates its own dynamics. What is your view and sort of the players associations view on that issue, whether the current structure that the cricket domestic T20 landscape has evolved to is the right one and best for players and best for the sport.
Tom Moffat: You’re absolutely right. And cricket, it’s one of the unique things about cricket is it’s a multiemployer system. So, you know, we know that a lot of players around the world have four, five, six, sometimes seven contracts running at the same time during a year. And I can’t think of another sport where that’s the case. So that brings with it some unique challenges. And what we would like to see is some really coherent regulation and minimum standards around how that actually looks around the world. So…
If you’re a player and you’re playing in any tournament or league that’s been sanctioned and approved by the ICC or a national governing body, there’s some standards that come with that. And with that tick of approval that protects both the players and obviously the sport as well. But look, you’re absolutely right that because it is a multiemployer system, it makes it incredibly challenging to set up a regulatory framework that you know, in football, for example, there’s transfer systems and things like that, that are much more geared towards where you’re, you know, you’re just playing for one club at a time, but we don’t have that in cricket. So whatever we come up with to work into the future is going to need to cater for the specifics of our sport. But we want to make sure that that landscape is actually regulated. I don’t think it’s healthy for anyone for it to just be the complete Wild West and for contracting or the approval and sanctioning of events to basically be anyone’s guess as to what you’re getting when those things are up and running. And we also want to see that there’s some mechanisms in place that can protect people in those events also.
So one of the issues we see a lot is non -payment. So players will go and play in a league that’s been sanctioned by either the ICC or the national governing body and often they won’t get paid what’s in their contract or they’ll be paid late. And so things like that, there’s a lot of tidying up to be done. As the game’s evolved, it’s evolved pretty organically, but there’s a lot of tidying up to be done in setting up some, probably setting up some more transnational systems to address some of those issues that we see in the sport.
What are some of the horrible things that players have to deal with that most people don’t see?
Zee: So Tom, one thing we want to do here at cricexec is to kind of shine light on the realities that different stakeholders in the cricket world have to deal with, right? Especially the players. And I think there are a lot of horrible situations or very challenging things that players have to deal with, right? And are confronted with all the time that the world doesn’t really, the cricket industry and then sort of the world beyond, the world the fans don’t always have to – don’t always see or are and are not aware of. Along the lines of what you just told me about non-payment, without naming names, right, of players, of organizations, of national bodies, could you tell me like one or two horror stories? Like what’s one of the worst kinds of situations – anonymized – that you’re aware of that like, for example, a player has to deal with?
Tom Moffat: Yeah, the non-payment one is a really common one that comes across our desk. And obviously, if you’re a player and you’ve got a mortgage and a family at home, if you don’t get paid, that’s not ideal. And you’re budgeting based on what you think’s in your contract.
But probably another really tangible one is actually, it’s something that we advocate for a lot around the world. And that is just simply for players to be able to exercise their right to organize and to form and join a players association.
Which in most parts of the world is now commonly accepted and is seen as a positive thing, Obviously, for players in terms of protecting their rights, but also for the game. I think there’s an acknowledgement that having a players association has been a positive in most sophisticated team sports around the world in making sure the players have a say and a voice. In cricket, the players often get big pushback when they are starting to… to form or join a players association in certain parts of the world.
And to give you a really tangible example, we’ve had examples of WhatsApp messages dropped into national team groups from coaches and administrators basically saying that if I hear talk of a players association, you’re out of the team. And that’s the kind of thing that players in certain parts of the world face. And that’s something that our game shouldn’t be standing for.
We think our game should be creating a safe space and a safe environment for players to exercise their rights, which are rights that any worker and any employee in any industry has, let alone athletes. So we want to see the game just get over that fear factor. To be honest, if there is a players association set up, yes, there may be some negotiations that come with that around contract structures and things like that.
But ultimately, they’re a really positive thing for protecting people, their welfare and their interests, and also helping to grow the game as well.
And probably a good start for you, Zee, is I think the last 15 World Cups on the men’s and women’s side have been won by countries with a players association. So that’s probably not a bad start for you to take away, hopefully. So some unity off the field might be a good thing on the field as well.
Zee: Yeah, I mean, one would have thought that the right for labor to be self-organized was an issue that was resolved a century ago. But it’s tough to hear that players have to battle that today.
Tom Moffat: Yeah, it absolutely is. And we really feel for them because we work our hardest to try and make sure that cricket is providing a safe space for them. They’re not doing anything wrong. But we know there are guys and girls around the cricket world who are just scared, frankly. And that’s not a healthy thing for the sport.
So, you know, we’ve come a long way as an industry, but there’s still further to go to make sure that some of these basics and the fundamentals are looked after and taken care of in all parts of the cricket world.
Tell us about rebrand and the new Tim May medal
Zee: And this is probably a good time to ask about the Tim May Medal that you created, or the Tim May Award that you created as part of your rebrand. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Tom Moffat: Sure. So we recently celebrated our 25th anniversary. We did that in New York during the World Cup. That’s currently happening over there. We held a dinner for our current board, which was around one of our current board meetings. And there are a number of ex-board members, players and other invited guests who came along that evening. And that was, we’re not big into back slapping in the players association movement. We’re more into sort of getting on with the job.
But it was a really nice opportunity to come together, celebrate what we’ve been able to achieve as a group over 25 years, and in particular, acknowledge the legacy of those who have built our organization and created a better environment for players in our sport against pretty big headwinds at times, which I’ve just mentioned. And Tim May was clearly at the forefront of that.
He effectively started the Australian Players Association and went on to be the first CEO of FICA in the international body as well. So there’s no better person to name the award after than Tim. So we’ve established the Tim May Medal to recognize those who have given significant contributions to both the players association movement and the game as well. So Tim obviously won the first one of those and we’re able to award that in New York a couple of weeks ago, along with Richard Bevin, who was another key person involved in the establishment of FICA up front back in the late 90s, early 2000s as well.
So it was a fantastic night and ability to recognize those people who have built our legacy in the foundations that we’re now able to grow and evolve on for players and for the sport.
What is your view on global franchise ownership consolidation – i.e. IPL ownership groups acquiring teams in other countries?
Zee: Great. I want to talk more about the organization in a second, but going back to sort of the multi -employer structure of cricket, I’m wondering what the perspective is of your organization, the players and players organizations on the trend for common ownership among teams in different leagues, right? So you’ve got, for example, Knight Riders in the IPL, in the South African T20, the CPL, and now the MLC.
So does the consolidation of ownership strike you and players associations as a good thing, as a concerning thing? What’s the view on that?
Tom Moffat: So this is something we’ve highlighted for a number of years and we produce our global employment reports every couple of years. And that’s certainly one of the trends that’s been evolving over probably four, five, six years in particular. And it’s fast-tracked in the last couple of years with the MLC in the US and a number of other leagues also. So you’re right that that direction of travel and common ownership of franchise teams across multiple leagues.
That’s a clear trend in our sport. And what we think that’ll lead to and will ultimately end up as being at the front of is players probably being contracted more on a year round basis to those franchises. There are some nuances in the system that make that a little bit difficult at the moment. For example, auctions and draft systems, which make it a little bit of a challenge.
Ultimately, we think that’s probably where it’ll end up. And if you’re one of those franchise owners, you’re probably going to look to maximize your investment in a player over 12 months rather than just having access for six, seven, eight weeks for one shorter window. So that’s probably one thing that, to the point we were talking about before with multi -employment contracts, it being a multi -employer system, that’s not necessarily directly analogous to a football or a soccer. It probably does start to move more along those lines if you’ve got access to your asset for the best part of 12 months anyway.
We think that trend is going to continue and that probably the sport’s going to end up in a situation where that’s the master contract for most of the best players in the world. Then you’re loaned back to your national governing body for international cricket, which is the complete opposite to where cricket’s been for the last 20 or 30 years with a system that’s been based largely around central contracts to your national governing body, focused on international cricket, it’s probably gonna flip at some stage.
So we’re not quite there yet, but clearly the building blocks are being put in place for that. And from our perspective, what we need to do is make sure that players collectively are represented.
Not just in the traditional international cricket landscape, but also in the evolving T20 leagues landscape with some of those minimum standards and things that I was touching on before. So if they are cutting between different leagues, working in different jurisdictions, that there’s still a minimum level of protection provided for them in any sanctioned cricket in our industry.
Tell us about your player advisory board
Zee: So Tom, you were talking about sort of, you know, working with the organization. You know, one thing that’s fascinating about the World Cricketers Association, like you said earlier, is, you know, you’ve got heads of national players associations, but you’ve also got, you know, player advisory boards with representatives from, you know, men’s and women’s cricket in all of your, the countries that you provide a forum for.
And I just want to talk about, you know, it’s, you know, our, our viewers, we have a lot of industry sort of members in our audience. We also have a lot of fans in our audience. And this is a side of players that they don’t really get to see much, right? They see the players on the pitch. They hear interviews with the players, but they don’t see or hear the players involved in advocacy. So I think it would just be fascinating to hear more about that.
Tom Moffat: Yeah, look, all of the players on our player advisory board. So Chris is obviously one. Cummins, Jason Holder, Aiden Markram, Tim Southey, Matthew Cross from Scotland on the men’s side and then others on the women’s side, Laura Wolffart, Hayley Matthews, Heather Knight, Alyssa Healy. Most of these players are the best players in the world. And they are really invested, obviously, in the sport being successful. And we see them lean in into their own domestic players associations and increasingly with us at global level given more issues in the game are becoming global issues. And they’re really passionate about the sport and the success of the sport. Obviously about looking after players as well and making sure that we’re advocating for their views and what they see. But also just that the sport’s healthy and successful. And there’s no stakeholder in the game that has more of a vested interest in the game being successful than the players. because obviously, you know, they benefit from the success of the game overall. So we’re really, we love working directly with those players. Obviously, we work daily with their players associations, but we love working directly with the players themselves because you get an insight into the change room and what the players are thinking at any point in time, whether it’s on an inside the ropes issue, like how many new balls we should be using in ODIs, things like that.
How big the boundary ropes should be, or whether it’s on an off field issue, or a negotiation that’s taking place at a point in time. But we love working with them and we’re really, frankly, we’re really proud of all those players around the world because to stick your head above the parapet and to be involved in a players association, all with us at global level, there are certain people in our sport who don’t like players doing that.
So, you know, it often takes a leap of faith and some bravery for players around the world to actually do that. And we’re really proud of the fact that they do and they continue to do a fantastic job in sticking their necks above the heads above the parapet and also working on behalf of their fellow colleagues and the others in their change rooms to make sure that they’re making a difference and advocating for the right thing.
So that we will continue to evolve those groups and we want to make sure that the players, as I said up front, we go where the players want us to go ultimately, you know, directly and through their associations and we’ll continue to be built around that philosophy. We always have been and we always will be.
What do you do when the interests of all players are not aligned? Ex. Stars vs. non-stars?
Zee: So Tom, one thing I’m curious about to the extent you can talk about it is, you know, the reality is, and this is a dynamic you see in all sports, even professional sports in North America where I am, there are players associations and they maintain unity, but the interests of all players are not always aligned on every issue, right? You’ve got some big stars who have certain interests and players who aren’t as big stars around as well-compensated who have different interests. And there’s nothing wrong with that, right? These are just interests given where people are positioned. But do you find that in cricket that that is the case some of the time, that there are some issues on which, you know, players have different perspectives and aren’t necessarily aligned just based on kind of their own situations?
Tom Moffat: Absolutely. And that’s the challenge with any collective model, whether you’re representing a collective of players at domestic level or for us at global level. We’ve got players affiliated to us from some of the smaller cricket countries like the Netherlands, Scotland, more recently USA, et cetera. And the issues that they face are often very different than the bigger countries, the Australians and the England’s of the world.
And one example of that is probably scheduling. Those smaller countries are craving for more cricket and access to more cricket, whereas the bigger countries probably have the opposite problem and they’re sleeping in hotel rooms for 250 days a year on the treadmill for 12 months. So that’s a really good example of a tension point, perhaps, if you’re trying to cut through that and have one position on an issue like scheduling.
But that’s the beauty of collective representation is you ultimately, you take all those views into account and you find the golden thread in the middle that you can advocate for and the players want you to advocate for. So that’s clearly a challenge. But the other thing I would say as well is that we’re really lucky that the players around the world, certainly those affiliated to us, there’s a real understanding that the top players were once not the top players, and they’re coming through a system and have benefited from a system that’s been built to benefit all the players, not just the ones at the very top.
So I think that’s a really important message across all the countries with players associations especially is that, you know, the collective models benefit everyone and all of the pro players in that system, not just the few at the top.
And I think that legacy piece is something that really strongly resonates through most of the player groups around the world that are affiliated to us at World Cricketers.
What role does the WCA play in the development of women’s cricket?
Zee: Got it. Well, there’s another sort of difference among players that I want to talk about as well, which has been really critical and, you know, a positive area of the sport the last few years, which is women’s cricket, right? There was a time where there wasn’t much women’s cricket and it’s still a time where there’s, you know, a lot of us, a lot of myself included, feel like there’s not enough or there’s not enough emphasis placed on it and there’s a long way to go.
How, what role did FICA and now the WCA play in helping the development of women’s cricket in general, right? I think it’s not just about players’ issues. It’s also about sort of making it happen.
And how have the women members of your players advisory board been involved in that and worked with you on it.
Tom Moffat: It’s probably twofold. I think at domestic level, our member players associations have been really at the forefront of advocating for increased opportunity and investment into the women’s game in their own countries by their national governing bodies, but also setting up models and for example, collective payment models that recognise that you need to invest in a professional system and you need to invest in players and people and building that system from ground level upwards.
And there’s been some great examples around the world of the players associations really being at the front of the advocacy on that side of things. And we’ve seen that bear fruit.
For example, in Australia, I think they’ve probably led the way in terms of investment into the women’s game and setting up some models based on science that have… that have borne a lot of fruit in terms of success on the world stage ultimately as well.
And then for us at a global level, I think our role is to make sure that we’re continually shining a light on where the game’s doing really good work in this space and where perhaps there’s some gaps and some more energy and effort that needs to be expended. And through our global employment reports, we’ve produced our Women’s Global Employment Report for the last six years, I think, every two years.
And we basically benchmark how every country is going in terms of certain metrics, in terms of structure of the game, overall investment, player payment models, contracting structures and things like that. And to make sure that again, we’re highlighting the really great stuff that’s being done around the world, but also where there’s some more work to be done.
But probably one of the one of the most tangible things that’s happened in recent times, and over the last few months is the agreement on the prize money modeling for ICC events, which is now built on a gender equity model whereby there’s equal prize money based on equal finishing position in an ICC event, which we think is obviously a great development for the sport and to make sure that ICC events has pinnacle events in the sport are really sought after for players wanting to get to the top of the whole sport. And we think that’ll only hold the whole sport in good stead moving forward.
Tell us about your board members, especially the female ones. Let’s start with Lisa Sthalekar
Zee: So Tom, that’s great. You know, it’s great to see sort of anything done in the way of improving the status of women’s cricket. Now, separate from your player advisory board, you actually have, you know, an actual board, right, an overseeing board, and there are three women members of the board.
And I just want to talk about each one and how involved they are and what they do for you and what it’s like working with them because they’re all sort of important to the sport. So starting obviously with the president Lisa Sthalekar, what’s her role? What’s it like working with her? How does she work with these issues and advocate for them?
Tom Moffat: So Lisa’s our fourth president, I think. Barry Richards was the first one, followed by Jimmy Adams and then Vikram Salanki and now Lisa. And Lisa’s done a fantastic job for us. Not only internally, she works incredibly hard and is quite involved in the business and the work that we do at WCA, but also in promoting and advocating for our work and more broadly. Obviously she’s got a role as a broadcaster and has other roles in the sport generally as well.
But her role in the role of the president is really a it’s a front facing role and it’s, you know, it’s by and large, it’s a figurehead role, but she is very actively involved on a day to day basis and has done a load of work for us behind the scenes, including with players and the women’s players around the world will formally became formally involved with with then FICA back in 2015 -2016
I think and that was roughly when Lisa first became involved with us on our board and she played a really key role there in making sure that there was understanding and education within those player groups and also that there’s a buy-in and a willingness to support the overall aims of the organization as well.
I couldn’t speak more highly of someone than Lisa. I think she’s an incredibly respected person in the whole sport and we’re really lucky to have her as our president.
Zee: Great. And then another board member who’s female is Cecilia Joyce from Ireland. What’s her involvement and what’s her role and what are the issues she tends to help on?
Tom Moffat: Cecilia has been on our board, I think since 2017, on the back of the, she was a key part of the establishment of the Irish Cricketers Association when it was established back then. And she’s now the president of the Irish Cricketers Association and has done a fantastic job in her country of growing that organization. And they recently achieved a great outcome with a collective agreement on behalf of men’s and women’s players in Ireland.
And with us at a global level, she’s been a fantastic contributor to our board and is an incredibly smart person. She’s a lawyer. She’s soon to be a mother of three. And I don’t know how she finds the time in the day to do the work that she does, but incredibly hard working, incredibly intelligent person. And we’re really lucky to have her as a contributor and a really strong contributor and voice around our table and a probably good barometer on a number of issues as well.
She’s a really good rudder for us generally as an organization also.
Zee: So the last board member, Tom, I want to ask about is Sana Mir, who like Lisa and Cecilia is a former cricketer, is a former women’s cricketer and is on your board. What’s her involvement? What’s it been like working with her as part of your team?
Tom Moffat: Sana has been an independent on our board for around 18 months now, I think. And again, her contributions have been massive, not just because she’s obviously a well-respected figure in the sport and a broadcaster as well, and on the back of the fantastic playing career that she had. But she’s always been willing to stick her neck out for players and to make sure that she is an advocate and a voice for players and in various settings also.
So we’re really lucky to have her. The other thing, the other fantastic thing that she brings is obviously that there’s no players association in Pakistan, but she just gives us a great insight into some of the things in that environment and where we can maybe help and assist both players in the game, including on things like player welfare and player development and wellbeing, which are areas that… within our group, there’s world -leading expertise on all of those areas.
And I think having her insight and access there is going to be a great thing moving forward. And she’s already been a huge contributor around our board table at global level as well.
Why do Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan have no cricketers’ associations?
Zee: Yeah, you know, it’s interesting that you mentioned that one thing that does jump out at me or anyone going to your website is that there are a few, you know, pretty prominent, test playing nation, full ICC members that don’t have representation on your board. Pakistan being one, India being another, Afghanistan being a third.
You mentioned Pakistan doesn’t have a players association. Can you speak more about that and why is also India and Afghanistan to your knowledge not involved with your organization?
Tom Moffat: Sure. So, look, historically our governance structure has been built on the domestic players association. So our board’s comprised of the leaders of those players associations. So obviously if there is no players association in a country, then there hasn’t been an ability to be part of the board and part of our organization. So we would love to see players in those countries be able to be supported and represented collectively.
It hasn’t happened in those last couple of countries as yet. But ultimately, we think it’d be a positive thing for the game, for the players collectively to have a bit of a voice and a say on certain issues, but probably more so to make sure that there’s an organization there that can holistically look after player well -being and player welfare programs also in that part of the world. So, look, we… we’ll be there to support any player group that does want to do that.
But equally, it’s not our job to go in and tell different player groups or different countries what to do in their own jurisdiction. But we’re absolutely here to support and guide any player group or any organization that wants some access to some expertise and resource and support in developing a players association or… or any welfare type programs in their own country as well.
What about the US and Canada?
Zee: Got it. So those are three South Asian countries, right? That seem not to have players associations domestically. But also it seems like the two North American associates that are the most prominent, sort of the USA and Canada are not sort of part of your organization either. Is that because they don’t have players associations either? And to your knowledge, what’s the story there?
Tom Moffat: So that’s recently changed, Zee. So the US Cricketers Association, we’ve recently helped them get established after the players came to us and asked for that help. And they had a process to lead to recognition in the US with respect to, in particular, Major League Cricket. So the organization was really set up to make sure that the players had a say and an ability to negotiate some terms and conditions around Major League Cricket.
So the US Cricketers’ Association is now actually formally a part of FICA. It’s got observer status on our board to start with, and we would expect that to evolve into being fully fledged in time. The Canadian players recently have signed into our global commercial program. So one of the things we’ve wanted to do with evolving our name and the way we hang together is to make sure that in countries where there is no players association, there’s also an ability for those players to benefit directly from our work and to come in directly to our commercial program.
So the Canadian players have recently done that. They don’t have an association yet in their own country. And ultimately that’ll be a decision for them in their own country as to what they want to do in time. But they are affiliated to our group more broadly through our commercial program.
And there are a number of playing groups who have done that in recent years as well. So Zimbabwe and Namibia being two other good examples where there’s not yet a domestic players association, but they’re able to benefit from our work globally and get the benefits that their colleagues around the world do by being part of our commercial program.
Who are the leaders of the new US Cricketers’ Association?
Zee: So back to the US, if it’s becoming a part of the WCA, is there a player representative who’s already been appointed or decided, or is that yet to be determined?
Tom Moffat: So the USCA board is comprised of Corey Anderson, Dane Pete, Obus Pienaar, and also Todd Greenberg and Walter Palmer, who has a huge history in the players association movement in the US and is based in Boston. So their governance structure is that it’s largely led by the players with some other expertise alongside them.
And ultimately, if and when they do become a fully fledged member of WCA, they’ll have the ability to elevate someone onto our board as well. So, look, we’re looking forward to that.
They’re involved, as I said, in an observer capacity at the moment and are engaged in our work and we’re speaking to them all the time, given we’re assisting their work at the US Players Association level in their own country. But, you know, it’s with the investment in the game in the US and the development and the growth of the game in the US.
We think it’s nothing but positive for them to be organized in their own country and to be part of and contributing and benefiting from our work at WCA level also. And I think in the US there’s a fantastic history of really strong players associations doing great work for players and the game in baseball, basketball, NFL, all the major sports over there. And it’s very much fitting that the cricketers now have a… a setup and a voice and can continue to evolve that organization over the next five, 10, 20 years as well.
Zee: Fantastic. Tom, before we sign off, I definitely want to talk a bit about you. You’ve been around a long time with FICA and the WCA. I know you’re an attorney by trade. How did you get involved and interested in this line of work and what’s kept you going for all these years?
Tom Moffat: My background was originally as a player very briefly here in Australia. I played a handful of first class games and was in the system here very briefly. That was happening while I was finishing a law degree. And then I went out and practiced for about three years at a commercial firm in Melbourne and did a couple of other stints elsewhere. I did one over at an international criminal tribunal at the UN in The Hague of all things and ended up as the in-house lawyer at the PFA, the Professional Footballers Association in Australia.
So collectively representing the Socceroos and the A -league players here. So that was really my segue into the Players Association movement. And I really loved the idea of the players getting together and having a voice and a strong input into the direction of the game and having briefly been part of a professional environment and also benefited myself from the work of a players association in terms of transition out of sport and some of the welfare and development programs that the Australian Cricketers Association ran when I was playing myself.
I think that was really the catalyst for wanting to be involved and to get the opportunity to now be leading the international body in cricket is a real privilege and getting to speak to the players around the world and their players associations on a daily basis and to provide a voice and advocate for them is a real privilege in a sport that’s now by most metrics the second biggest sport in the world and it’s going from strength to strength.
But there are a lot of challenges that we see on the horizon that we need to make sure that the players are a part of the solutions and also that they’re being protected appropriately as well in our sport.
Zee: Amazing. Tom, thank you for sharing all this about your organization and your work and your story. We wish you continued luck. And as time goes on, we’d love to have you back to talk about issues of the day in the future.
Tom Moffat: Perfect, happy to chat. Zee, thanks for having me.
Name of Author: Zee Zaidi
