The Australian Cricketers Association confirmed it had informally proposed a percentage-based retainer option to CA to help deal with the uncertainty around COVID-19 and streamline the process of players’ pay being adjusted.

“The players have committed to the revenue-share model in good times and bad. The players will hold up their end of the bargain,” ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson said.

“We need further information from CA about its revenues and contingency planning,that we hope to receive when available. We know this is challenging but we are working through this together as part of our partnership model.”

CA says it has used a percentage system to pay players previously in years when collective bargaining agreements have been negotiated,but the circumstances this time around are very different.

“I think there’s a fair bit of water to go under the bridge from a cricket sense,” Australia’s Test captain,Tim Paine,said on Tuesday when asked about the impact of coronavirus on the game.

“But certainly if things happen similar to what’s happened in football and other sports we’ve certainly got to do our bit to make sure that the game survives and remains healthy for years to come.

"If it comes to that I’m sure[pay cuts are] something that the players will look at but there’s bigger issues going on at the moment around the world than how much our sportsmen are getting paid.”

Cummins is likely to keep his spot at the top of the CA contract list,with Steve Smith,David Warner,Mitchell Starc,Josh Hazlewood,Marnus Labuschagne,Nathan Lyon and Paine occupying the the other leading positions.