Cricket’s pay war exploded again on Friday night, with the players’ association adamant their revenue share model has been rejected on the negotiating table.
Mystery surrounds the real status of negotiations, with Cricket Australia denying talks have broken down at all and admitting their “surprise” at claims from the Australian Cricketers’ Association that negotiations have hit another brick wall.
As far as CA is concerned, nothing has been rejected because talks remain ongoing.
The ACA see the latest development differently and are livid.
The bizarre differing of opinions from both camps indicates that an agreement is likely still a long way from being achieved, with August’s Test tour of Bangladesh now in grave danger of being bulldozed.
It’s no secret CA has wanted to abolish the revenue share model, the one principle that the ACA was unwilling to budge on.
In negotiations this week the ACA were of the opinion that the revenue share model would remain under a new in-principle agreement that was set to involve compromise from both sides.
However, the union say CA’s latest draft proposal has come back to them in the past 24 hours with all references to revenue share removed – leaving the ACA furious.
It’s understood players are being kept in the loop by the ACA about the goings on.
At this stage Cricket Australia are expecting talks to continue on Monday and are perplexed that the ACA are claiming such a major setback in proceedings.
CA say that while face-to-face meetings have not taken place the past two days, phone and email conversations have occurred.
A CA spokesperson declined to provide detail on the current negotiations but reiterated that they were progressing.
However, the ACA have a completely different view of how the week has played out.
The bottom line is there are now renewed fears that the baggy green cap will be sacrificed in this ugly dispute.
Australia is set to tour Bangladesh in mid-August, and for the first time in history there could be a boycott of a Test series.
Given the outcry that the cancellation of the Australia A tour of South Africa brought, a boycotting of Bangladesh could bring untold damage for the game.
Cricket Australia’s security team is set to fly to Bangladesh, along with an ACA representative, to perform final reconnaissance for the tour.
England toured the country last year without incident so it’s expected safety will not stand in Australia’s way – however a pay deal might.
Players have made it clear they won’t take the field without an MOU – or at least significant progress being made towards a resolution.
At the moment, following the theme of this entire saga, both parties seem to be on a completely different page.
Source: The Daily Telegraph