WCA’s Principles help to guide its positions and advocacy for players. WCA wants to ensure the game is healthy and successful, and that players remain at its heart. Our Principles are intended to be âbenchmarksâ against which WCA will assess the game and those who run it.
Our Principles have been developed in line with WCA research and analysis, the real life experiences of players globally, and the World Playersâ Association Universal Declaration of Player Rights (UDPR), which articulates existing internationally recognised human rights as they apply to sport in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPâs).
Our Principles reflect WCAâs ongoing commitment to the protection and enforcement of playersâ rights globally, and the advancement of the global game. Those things are not mutually exclusive.
WCA stands for:
1.1. Collective representation: Every professional cricketer has the right to form and join a playersâ association, to collective representation at both global and country level, and to have their individual and collective rights protected.[1]
1.2. Formal recognition and engagement:
1.3. Freedom of opinion and expression: Every player has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
1.4. Duty to respect the rights of others: Every professional cricketer has a duty to respect the rights of his or her fellow players, and to respect the fundamental human rights of everyone involved with or affected by cricket.[2]
1.5. Collective action: Where player rights are not respected, the players retain the right to take appropriate collective action.
[1] World Playersâ Association, Universal Declaration of Player Rights (âUDPRâ), Art 6
[2] UDPR, Arts 13 and 17
WCA stands for:
2.1. Organising and collective bargaining: Every professional cricketer has the right to organise and collectively bargain the terms and conditions of their employment.[1]
2.2. Careers based on merit: Every professional cricketer has the right to pursue a career based solely on merit. [2]
2.3. Equality of opportunity: Every professional cricketer has the right to a career free from discrimination, harassment and violence.[2]
2.3. Choice of employment: Every professional cricketer has the right to work, the free choice of employment as a player, and to move freely in pursuit of that employment.[3]
2.4. Fair share of cricketâs wealth: Every professional cricketer has the right to share fairly in the economic activity and wealth of the game, which players have helped generate.[4]
2.5. Fair conditions of work: Every professional cricketer has the right to:[5]
2.6. Protection of commercial rights: Every professional cricketer has the right to have their personal attributes (incl. name, image, likeness) protected and those attributes and commercial performances should only be exploited with their consent, voluntarily given.[6]
2.7. Protection of privacy rights: Every professional cricketer has the right to a private life, privacy, and protection in relation to the collection, storage and transfer of personal data.[7]
2.8. Rights of the child: Every player who is a minor is entitled to the opportunity to freely pursue sport in an inclusive, adapted and safe manner, and to have his or her rights as a child protected, respected and guaranteed.[8]
2.9. Protection of the law: Every professional cricketer has the right to the protection of the law and equality before it. Every player is entitled to due process, and where charged, to the presumption of innocence. Any penalties must be lawful, proportionate and just.[9]
2.10. Effective remedy: Every professional cricketer is entitled to have disputes resolved through an impartial and expeditious grievance mechanism in which the player has an equal say in the appointment of the grievance panel, arbitrator, or other decision-making person or body. Cricket must ensure that players are provided with access to an effective remedy where their rights have not been protected or respected.[10]
[1] UDPR, Art 6
[2] UDPR, Arts 2 and 3
[3] UDPR, Art 5
[4] UDPR, Art 7
[5] UDPR, Art 8
[6] UDPR, Â Art 12
[7] UDPR, Art 11
[8] UDPR, Art 4
[9] UDPR, Arts 14 and 15
[10] UDPR , Art 16
WCA stands for:
3.1. Engage, educate, empower: Integrity threats, including from doping, corruption, match-fixing, conduct, and safeguarding issues, must be combated professionally, collaboratively, and in accordance with playersâ fundamental rights. The defence against threats should focus on engaging, educating, and empowering all stakeholders, including the players, rather than punitive punishment.
3.2. A well resourced, independent, ICC global integrity unit: Operating centrally and coordinating operations across cricket countries. Cricket should have a collaborative and consistent approach to addressing integrity issues between WCA, the integrity unit, and between playersâ associations and relevant country units.
3.3. Proportionate, balanced, and effective integrity regulations and measures: Agreed in consultation with the stakeholders to whom they apply, and applicable to players and officials alike.
3.4. Global education: Comprehensive, well- resourced and world-class global education programmes developed with and for all professional cricketers, and other participants in all countries, on integrity issues in the game.
3.5. Support and rehabilitation mechanisms: For players who are involved with integrity issues, including legal and welfare support, protections for whistle-blowers, and protection of confidentiality. Players operate in a system created by governing bodies, and are critical to the fight against integrity threats.
3.6. Transparent and fair processes and criteria: For the awarding of event hosting rights, commercial contracts, and wealth distribution in the game.
WCA stands for:
4.1. Primacy of player wellbeing: Every professional cricketer should be provided with a working environment that mitigates risk appropriately, protects their welfare, health and safety, and physical, mental and social wellbeing, as well as promoting personal growth and sporting excellence.[1]
4.2. Education: Every professional cricketer:
4.3. Access to support services: Every professional cricketer should have access to a Personal Development Manager to assist in welfare, personal development, and career transition, and access to appropriate confidential support services relating to professional and personal mental health needs.
4.4. Enforceable health and safety minimum standards: Every professional cricket event and venue should adhere to an agreed and enforceable minimum level of health and safety standards, including both on and off field.
4.5. Enforceable security minimum standards: Every professional cricket event should be subject to appropriate expert safety and security assessments, and to the implementation of tailored, proportionate security measures.
4.6. Access to appropriate treatment: Every professional cricketer should have access to expert treatment and support, when injured or incapacitated in any way, funded by the resources of the employer and the sport. A player must be treated and supported with utmost integrity by healthcare professionals when injured or ill, and have direction and control over that treatment and support.[3]
4.7. Insurance provision: Every professional cricketer should be provided with insurance by their employer to an agreed minimum level, including against temporary or permanent disablement, and death in service.
[1] UDPR, Art 9
[2] UDPR, Art 10
[3] UDPR, Art 9
WCA stands for:
5.1. Global vision and structure: For the development and scheduling of each format of the game. The global cricket structure should not be governed entirely by short-term financial considerations and must take into account the volume and context of cricket, player workload, and a balance of the formats of the game.
5.2. Appropriate balance in the global schedule: Between the traditional, international cricket focussed landscape, and the new, domestic leagues landscape.
5.3. Scheduling windows: Clear scheduling windows that deliver clarity and consistency in the position within the annual cricketing calendar for all sanctioned and international cricket. Top down, rather than reverse competitor driven, scheduling for international cricket, that delivers the best sporting competition, with the best players available to play for their national teams when selected.
5.4. Context and meaning: The global cricket structure should provide a clear narrative to the cricket public and players. International competition structures should be easy to follow, transcend bilateral competition, and give meaning and prestige to every match due to the impact that match has on qualification for ICC events, global ranking, or significant financial reward.
5.5. Pathways, opportunity, growth: Clear pathways and meaningful, meritocratic and meaningful playing opportunities, supported by economic models that enable developing nations to compete, and to grow the game.
5.6. A fair global regulatory framework: Including for sanctioned cricket, that is agreed with WCA, and that protect the interests of the game, and the players.
5.7. Fair and consistent playing conditions: Developed in consultation with WCA, including the use of the best available technology, applied in matches between all opponents.
WCA stands for:
6.1. A global strategy for the game: That acknowledges the playersâ, and their representatives role as key stakeholders.
6.2. Principles of good governance: Cricket should be administered in line with universally accepted principles of good governance, which not only lead to commercial success, but which are ethical, transparent, and accountable, free from corruption and mismanagement. Decisions should be taken in the long-term interests of the global game and all of its stakeholders, including the players.
6.3. Internationally recognised human rights: Cricket should look after its people, and should be governed in a manner that protects, respects, and guarantees, the fundamental human rights of everyone involved in or affected by sport, including the players. The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights provide an internationally recognized framework through which the game can address its obligations.[1]
6.4. Published Key Performance Indicators: Against which the performance of the gameâs leadership can be measured, and clear protocols for dealing effectively with complaints about the gameâs governance or individuals involved in the gameâs governance.
6.5. Balanced and skills-based boards and committees: At ICC and country board level, including independent directors with democratic, equal voting rights.
6.6. Fair economic models and financial reporting: Fair and transparent economic models and financial reporting by the ICC and country boards, that facilitate growth in the game. Distribution processes that ensure accountability, and transparency to WCA, playersâ associations and players, to enable informed positions to be taken.
[1] UDPR, Art 1
