Bright light in pay row
Big Bash franchises have chance to snare young gun
CRICKET has been given a new window to snare rising star Will Sutherland from the clutches of the AFL.
The trade embargo preventing Big Bash franchises offering contracts has been temporarily lifted by Cricket Australia, giving both Melbourne Big Bash teams an opportunity to snare the impressive Australian under-19 captain.
The pay impasse which has cricket hurtling towards the edge of a cliff this Friday has inhibited Cricket Victoria’s ability to sign Sutherland, son of CA boss James, for the Victorian state team.
But with AFL recruiters circling Sutherland, a stand out for Vic Metro in an under-18s carnival match on Saturday, cricket can go hard again to keep the 17-year-old.
The opportunity to sign Sutherland comes amid talk in cricket circles that only a frenetic series of meetings at the end of this week could avoid a civil war as early as this weekend.
About 230 cricketers, including every player on a national contract, will be unemployed after Friday if a new memorandum of understanding is not agreed.
A revised pay offer from CA last week, the first sign of give in the frosty stand-off, was given short shrift by the Australian Cricketers Association, which did not respond in any official form.
There were no meetings yesterday between the warring parties, as CA head negotiator Kevin Roberts continued a series of visits with state players in Tasmania.
It could be that only the return of CA boss Sutherland from the UK on Thursday, and his entering in to negotiations, brings about even a short-term peace.
A squad of 16 players is expected to front for Australia A training in Brisbane on Monday, but given several could be without contracts, whether they turn up remains in limbo. The tour represents a chance for fringe Test batsman Usman Khawaja, who is captain, and incumbent No.6 Glenn Maxwell to further press their Ashes claims.
Both want to tour, but could be guided by the rest of the players, many of whom have existing long-term state contracts they could be compelled to honour.