Cricket Australia accept ‘compromises’ with Pat Cummins’ overseas deals amid $32m loss

Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird says there are “undoubtedly compromises” in allowing top drawcards like Test captain Pat Cummins to play in emerging overseas leagues, as the governing body continues to walk a fine line between managing physical demands on players with the game’s economic imperatives.The organisation reported a $31.9m loss for 2023-24 on Thursday, the third highest in the past decade, trailing $52m in 2016-17 and $43m in 2019-20.Baird said this reflected the cyclical nature of cricket and he was “bullish” about the promise of the next two years with Test series scheduled against India and England, which are forecast to leave CA with more than $70m in cash reserves.“Between $70 and 80 [million] is the expectation, so it’s obviously a huge uplift relative to where we have been, and all indications are that the summer is lined up to be a significant success, most importantly for fans and players, but obviously that has an impact commercially,” Baird…