Max60, a ten-over competition in the Cayman Islands, has been forced into disarray after several reports of non-payment of dues prompted players to stage strikes against the organizers. The tournament had gained traction in its second season this year after attracting big names like David Warner, Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales, and Carlos Brathwaite. However, the strikes forced the abrupt cancellation of as many as five games on Tuesday.
According to reports, players refused to take the field, demanding payment of the dues contractually due 30 days before the start of the tournament. However, the owners cancelled the games and announced the decision via the league’s official Instagram account, terming it an ‘off-field issue’.
Earlier, a final between Vegas Vikings (3rd ranked) and Caribbean Tigers (1st ranked) on Thursday was announced to end the tournament through the same Instagram post. However, the post was deleted shortly after, and by the next morning, the final was replaced with a ‘runner-up playoff’, announced to be played between Vikings and the fifth-placed Grand Cayman Falcons.
There is no news on whether the players and organisers have reached an agreement, but the World Cricketers Association (WCA) has backed the players and condemned the organizers for failing to uphold the terms of their own contract.
“It’s disappointing to hear that players still haven’t been paid what they’re owed under their contracts,” Tom Moffat, the WCA’s chief executive, said on Tuesday. “Players have fulfilled their commitments in good faith the whole way along, but it’s unreasonable for anyone to expect them to continue to turn up and put on the show if the terms of their contracts have flagrantly been breached.
“This isn’t an isolated or new issue. It’s another example of an officially sanctioned cricket event treating player contracts like worthless pieces of paper, and of the lack of protections for players who compete in events sanctioned by the ICC or its members.
“There are simple solutions to these issues, and the game’s global leadership and regulations should protect the whole sport and people within it.”
The runner-up playoff game ended without any result after rain spoiled the party for both teams and the openers. The league is run by BMP Sports, a Dubai-based entity also affiliated with the Braves franchise, which has participated in ten-over competitions across Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi, and Zimbabwe. Dario Barthley, CEO of BMP Sports, has served as Media Officer for the West Indies’ senior men’s cricket team as well as team manager for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
Lately, cases of delayed or non-payment of dues have surged, especially with the rise of more franchise leagues but also among associate nations. Just recently, Oman players had to threaten to pull out of the Emerging Asia Cup after Oman Cricket (OC) failed to pay the players’ prize money from the 2024 T20 World Cup. At least 11 players lost their central contracts as well as visas to stay in the country as a consequence of their protests.
“In our last global player survey completed by more than 320 current pro players globally (majority internationals), 29% said they have experienced late or non-payment in cricket that is sanctioned by the ICC or its members,” Moffat on what he calls an epidemic of non-payment.
