BRADMAN’S CONTRACT

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1932, Page 8

BRADMAN’S CONTRACT

MAY KEEP HIM OPT OF TESTS. POSITION MADE CLEAR. Don Bradman may not after all be playing for Australia against the Englishmen next season- j, L . Here is a piece of disconcerting news for Australian cricket lovers, though it might please the people of England immensely, states a Melbourne cricket writer. While efforts were being made a few months ago by Accrington club, in the Lancashire League, to secure the sendees of Bradman, it was feared' that we would, lose the greatest batsman of the day. Before he had made up his mind, however, negotiations were opened up for an appointment that would keep him in Australia. He was employed at the time in' the sports department at a Sydney firm, but his contract with the firm was nearing an end. The upshot was that Bradman accepted a contract in which three parties were concerned. His duties, which were to be divided between the' three parties, included writing on cricket for' a Sydney newspaper, talking about cricket for a broadcasting coriipany, and also in connection with a sports store. '

Bradman’s - dontrlnct operated from February 1, but as he was not in Sydney from late in January until after the fifth Test, the question raised had no reference to'his place in the Australian team against'South Africa. ?, The doubt about his participation in ; next season’s Tests arises from ’ his' contract to write on cricket for a newspaper. His duties in this respect will include the writing of comments j on the Test matches. r } Now, the Board of Control has'set I its face against players taking part in these matches writing about them | in the newspapers, arid for some time i past has refused to allow them to do so. It has also, by a clause in its 'contract with the players, bound them not to write, either directly or i, indirectly, for any Newspaper while on i tour with an Australian team in Eng- , land. " v ; ! When playing in a Test match they are forbidden to write or comment ort the game at all. j That being so, Bradman will either I have to conform to the hoard’s stipulation or drop out bf our Test elevens. • j Unless he is released by the newspaper j concerned from the obligation to f write on Test cricket, it looks as I though we will lose ' him as a Test ! player. Bradman himself fully realises the position, and is determined to fulfil his part of hi® new contract. ' l,t After aill, ” he says, “cricket is not the main thing in life. I have to '. consider other things than it, and I j intend to place my business before it. j I have entered into this contract,' and I intend to stick to it. If the Board will not allow me to carry out my • contract, than I will not he available for Test cricket. It' is Just as well ;• that my position should be made j clear.” | In making this statement to me, Bradman appeared to realise fully I that there was no chance of the boat'd I altering its attitude regarding the player-writer question, and that, for the time being, at any rate, he was finished with Test cricket. But he was emphatic that cricket would have a secondary place in his life in the future. It seems to he a question of the newspaper releasing him from that part of lii s contract that will affect him in regard to big cricket, or of the Board the player-writer question-