The world cup winners will be rewarded handsomely in 2003-04, but their pay packets will not rise as much as they had expected, the Australian Cricket Board said on Tuesday.

The ACB and the Australian Cricketers' Association released a joint statement to say reductions in world cup and media rights income meant ACB revenue had not grown as much as expected.

Players receive 25 per cent of the Australian Cricket Revenue under the terms of a four-year ACB/ACA Memorandum of Understanding negotiated in 2001.

Australia's international players receive 55 per cent of the player pool with state-contracted players earning the rest.

"The player payment pool for 2002-03 is A$24 million (US$15.84 million) while the MoU had projected it to be A$26 million and A$28 million in each of the next two financial years," the statement said.

"The ACB has revised the player payment pool to A$25 million and A$27 million for each of the next two years."

Australia's top players can earn a maximum contract of A$484,000 (up A$36,000) for 2003-04 plus A$12,100 (up A$1,100) for a Test match and A$4,850 (up A$450) for a one-day international.

The ACB/ACA joint statement told players to be patient.

"Hopefully, future ACR estimates can be revised upwards, and if so, the appropriate increases in player payments will be reflected in adjusted payments you will receive," the statement said.

Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper said on Tuesday Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and one-day captain Ricky Ponting would this year become the first players to receive A$1million annually from the ACB.

Captain Steve Waugh's Australia completed a 3-1 series win over the West Indies in Antigua last week to reclaim the ICC Test Championship's top ranking from South Africa.

Ponting's side lead the West Indies 2-0 in the one-day series, stretching Australia's world record winning streak in limited overs internationals to 19.

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