Australia captain Steve Smith has led the players opposition against Cricket Australia. (Source: AP)
Australia’s players are considering pulling out of the upcoming tour of Bangladesh amid the on-going pay dispute that has hit Australian cricket. The players are reported to have had a meeting where they considered the possibility of not travelling to Bangladesh as negotiations are yet to find a complete breakthrough and lack of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and Cricket Australia (CA).
Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner met with ACA chief executive Alastair Nicholson in an undisclosed meeting to consider their options after a breakdown in the talks with CA last week.
As per report in The Australian newspaper the players discussed the possibility of going ahead with the Bangladesh tour by signing a special contractual arrangement. But that option was dismissed with the union sticking to their stand as per the resolutions reached at a previous meeting and refusal to take part in any tours unless an MoU was signed.
The dispute has now entered nearly its fourth week with the players going out of contract – and officially unemployed – since June 30. The squad did agree to undergo a training camp in Darwin on August 10 after a vote but will not leave for Bangladesh a week later unless an agreement is reached, the report went on to add. The first Test, in the two Test series, begins 10 days later.
Previously Australia A abandoned their tour of South Africa earlier this month after going through the same process.
The dispute is over CA’s refusal to renew a revenue-sharing arrangement which has been part of all deals over the
past two decades. As per latest reports, the ACA close to getting a deal in place with CA last week. Players had proposed that they maintain the status quo on revenue-sharing model but sacrifice up to AU$30 million ($24 million) of their pay to grass roots cricket. But CA stuck to their stance of not offering a revenue-sharing deal.
Players are as frustrated as anyone else. We want to play. Offering even more to grassroots to get a deal!!! #fairshare
— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) July 24, 2017
The players expressed their disappointment at the latest developments in the continued dispute which threatens even the Ashes later in the year which would be played at home.
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