Steve Smith trumps Virat Kohli as highest paid cricket captain
What's the story
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Australian captain Steve Smith is the highest paid of all international captains, including India's Virat Kohli. Smith earns $1.469 million per annum while Kohli's salary amounts approximately to $1 million. To put this into perspective Smith's earnings are 20 times more than his counterpart from Zimbabwe, Graeme Cremer, who stands to earn $86,000 in 2017.
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Kohli still the richest cricketer
While Smith's salary is more than that of Kohli's, the Indian firmly remains the richest cricketer with his earnings from brand endorsements and IPL fees being close to $22 million yearly.
Fair salaries
Indian Test cricketers are the most paid
While the BCCI is often scrutinized for not giving Test cricket its due, the salary numbers prove otherwise. Reportedly, India's Test cricketers are the most well rewarded, across the world, earning $23,380 per game, which is almost twice of what an Aussie player gets for a home Test (Australian board pays differently for home and away matches).
Top bucks for Shastri
Ravi Shastri is the highest earning coach
Of all the international coaches, Indian national team coach Ravi Shastri is the most paid, and draws an annual salary of $1.17 million, which is "less only than what the top player from Australia, England, and India, earns yearly." Aussie coach Darren Lehmann is the second highest earning coach at $0.55 million package, followed by England coach Trevor Bayliss who is paid $0.52 million.
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Pakistan board pays the worst
Pakistani cricketers are among the "worst paid in cricket" with a player in top contract bracket earning an annual retainer ($74,014) which is slightly less than the top contract for an Ireland player ($75,000).