Generally speaking a cash rent contract is $$ for use of the land.  Operator is the operator, how it's operated is not anyone else's business.  If the landowner wants to farm the land, he should hire custom operations.  If he wants to share in the farming of the land, he should share crop it.  If he wants cash in hand, he should take the cash in hand and let the farmer farm it. 

In reality it all depends on the individual deal.  Each contract is it's own deal, and it either works or it doesn't depending on the conditions and price.