The Cricket Australia national governing body has denied suggestions that commercial broadcaster Nine Network may be able to influence the national team’s player selections as part of the new rights deal between the two parties.
Nine managing director Jeffrey Browne said that Cricket Australia's rotation policy, which allows top players to be rested for some matches, was “a real worry.” He added to the Australian newspaper: “Last year that balance was skewed too much in favour of resting some players so from now on there will be a lot more discussion between (Cricket Australia) and the broadcaster about that.”
However, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said: “Cricket has a long-standing and successful relationship with the Nine Network but team selections and scheduling are matters for Cricket Australia. The national selection panel selects the Australian teams. With the volume of international cricket being played, it will continue to be necessary for us to manage player workloads appropriately. We'll continue to consult with our broadcasters on scheduling issues. It's something we have always done. We have a common goal with our broadcast partners to maximise the number of fans watching and enjoying cricket. We'll consider all ideas and then make the appropriate decisions."
Earlier this month, Nine agreed a new five-year rights deal, from 2013-14 to 2017-18, with Cricket Australia, to show the national team’s matches.