A MEMBER of the Cranbourne Cricket Club has called for the DDCA salary cap to be dumped and replaced with a points system which he says will create a level playing field.
Cranbourne A-grade captain Alan Courtney says the salary cap should be replaced by a points system in which each club starts with 12 points and players are allocated a specific amount depending on where they come from and what standard of cricket they have played.
"The points system would effectively regulate the `big name' players that clubs can attract and, furthermore, it encourages clubs to offer opportunity to local players and, more importantly, to develop junior players into turf 1.
"In turn, this will create a level playing field that fairly represents the cricket talent within this association, and that, my friend, is a good thing."
But DDCA president Michael Hawking said the system would put clubs without a large number of junior sides at a disadvantage.
"The quota may restrict clubs without a large contingent of juniors from recruiting quality players to stay competitive. Just recently, the Casey Cardinia Football League introduced a similar selection structure and left some clubs unable to field a full complement of players in some games."
Courtney's proposal applies to the senior team at each club only. A player who has played state-level cricket would attract a six-point deduction, leaving the club with six points to play with.
Other players with district/Premier, subdistrict or international cricket experience would attract points accordingly.
"Trade-offs could be in the form of any of the above player groups discounted one point if they are returning to the club where they played junior cricket and a further discount of two points applies for each player under 20 years of age who has played junior cricket at that club.
"The points are calculated week to week, given the variances of selection, and these players can be paid any amount of money that their club can afford. A non-playing coach is exempt from the points system and can receive any amount of money."
Courtney said the DDCA relied on a salary cap of $6500 for a cricket club to govern the amount of money that it can spend on players and coaches per season.
"Put simply, the task of overseeing the salary cap is beyond the resources and capabilities of a volunteer organisation.
"The system can be and is being rorted, as those involved in cricket know that a playing coach demands a starting price of between $4000 and $6000 per season, let alone payments for imports and other quality recruits."
Hawking defended the salary cap system.
"Opinions expressed about possible salary cap threshold breaches such as yours [Courtney's] have been isolated in recent times and no one as yet has approached the DDCA with evidence to substantiate any such claims."
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