The bitter pay dispute in Australian cricket has escalated further with the Australia A tour of South Africa officially cancelled on Thursday morning.
Dissatisfied with what they say is a lack of progress in pay talks this week, players have followed through on their resolution from Sunday not to tour.
Cricket Australia have expressed their disappointment at the decision as it believed the two parties had made sufficient progress in discussions this week to save the tour.
Players had given CA a Friday deadline but that was brought forward by 24 hours at the governing body`s request for logistical reasons.
While there was much at stake on the field for players selected on the tour, they have chosen to foresake personal ambition in a show of solidarity to the 230 uncontracted cricketers around the country.
The tour had been shaping as a big opportunity for the likes of Usman Khawaja and Glenn Maxwell to press their claims for the Ashes series.
The Test tour of Bangladesh in August is now shaping as the next flashpoint in the biggest industrial battle in Australian cricket since World Series in 1977.
The Australia A players for the July 12-August 8 tour have been training in Brisbane after assembling there on Monday.
The South Africa tour was to include four-day matches and a limited overs tri-series, also involving India A. The decision to cancel the tour came just two days before players were set to fly out.
Australia A squad member with multi-year state and Big Bash League contracts will continue to have those honoured, CA say.
CA have said it will allocate what it can recoup of the $250,000 tour costs to grass roots cricket, on top of the $1.2 million per fortnight it would otherwise be paying to contracted players.
"It is with great frustration that with no progress towards resolving the current dispute, Australia A players confirm they will not tour South Africa," the Australian Cricketers Association said in a statement on Thursday.
"This decision is made in support of more than 200 male and female players who are now unemployed, and is consistent with Sunday`s ACA Executive meeting resolutions.
"By making this call, the Australia A players have sacrificed their own ambitions for the collective; an incredibly selfless act that shows their strength and overall commitment to the group.
"All players are deeply disappointed at the behaviour of CA which forces this course of action, given the players would rather be playing for their country."
Players are arguing for the retention of the revenue-share model, introduced in 1997, in the next pay agreement but CA say that is no longer viable.
CA sent a revised offer two weeks ago which would give all domestic players a share in profit.
The last memorandum of understanding expired last Friday, effectively making the bulk of Australian cricketers unemployed.
While ACA chief Alistair Nicholson has remained in contact with his CA counterpart James Sutherland this week, players want him to be part of the governing body`s official negotiating team. CA have said this will not happen.
"CA refuse to attend mediation or offer any genuine flexibility in the MOU negotiations," the ACA said.
"And without mediation it`s hard to see how there can be the progress necessary to reach agreement.
"The players want to make sure all men and women who play the game are treated fairly, and that grassroots funding is not drained by a top-heavy bureaucracy.
"The ACA again calls on common sense to prevail and for the CA CEO to attend mediation.
"The ACA sits at the table awaiting CA`s genuine participation."
CA disagree, saying talks this week between the two chiefs should have enabled the tour to proceed.
"Cricket Australia regrets that players have made this decision despite progress made in talks between CA and the ACA in meetings over the past week," CA said in a statement.
"These talks included regular communication between CEOs.
"While a new MOU has not yet been agreed, CA is of the view that these talks should have enabled the tour to proceed as planned.
"CA will continue to work towards a new MOU which is in the interests of both the players and the game and calls upon the ACA to show the flexibility clearly now needed to achieve that outcome."
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald