Melbourne, Dec. 6 : Believe it or not, Australia’s cricketers get paid 672 dollars for every single that they score, or every wicket that they snare.

Which suggests that their demand for a review of pay and conditions virtually borders on the ridiculous.

Even if they just turn up for a game, they earn up to 14,000 dollars, reports news. com. au.

The Daily Telegraph crunched the numbers of the team''s current earnings to help Cricket Australia determine who gives the most "bang for buck". The results - and near seven-figure sums involved – is an eye-opener for those who are less fortunate.

Base salaries for the top 25 contracted cricketers in the country start at 160,000 dollars and end with top dog Ponting (skipper) getting 800,000 dollars.

The base salaries drop at intervals of approximately 50,000 dollars according to rankings, and men who play in all forms of the game occupy the top tier.

On top of this, players are paid match fees that can boost their wage by more than 300,000 dollars a year if they play the majority of Tests, one- dayers and Twenty20 games.

A Test is worth 12,750 dollars and 50/20-over cricket pays 5100 dollars - and both attract overseas loading.

So who are the big earners?

Based on 12 months of estimated earnings from December 1, 2007, Michael Clarke is Australian cricket''s million-dollar man, surpassing even Ponting.

Pocketing an estimated 1.01 million dollars, it''s little wonder Clarke is reportedly splashing out on an Aston Martin for fiancee Lara Bingle.

Ponting isn''t far behind with 992,280 dollars for the year, but it was only Clarke''s workload that steered him from a probable third ranking into top spot.

He played 36 out of 37 games in series against India (home and away), West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Only Mike Hussey played them all, and 329,970 dollars in match fees saw his payday get past a man believed to be the No. 2 rank, pace bowler Brett Lee.

Hussey and Hayden topped the earning list as far as batters were concerned. Hussey pocketed an estimated 11,010 dollars a day for 89 days of play. Hayden earned 14,129 dollars a day in spite of injury.

On the bowling front, Lee and Johnson are the Australian cricket team''s answer to supermodels who don''t leave bed for less than 10,000 dollars a day. The pair earned 10,047 dollars and 10,055 dollars per wicket respectively for their great years of 95 and 80 wickets.

Troubled all rounder Andrew Symonds is likely pocket over 500,000 dollars.

Each game requires weeks of training, touring and time away from home. There are always off-field duties as well for CA and sponsors and it is these demands our cricketers have problems with. (ANI)