Smith peace talks crash

CA says case closed on Instagram prank

PLAYERS are again at loggerheads with Cricket Australia after a planned meeting over the Emily Smith anti-corruption ban blew up on the tarmac.

President of the players’ association Shane Watson has dramatically called off his Friday sit down with counterpart Earl Eddings, after receiving a pre-emptive letter from CA that ruled out any prospect of them revising Smith’s controversial suspension for an Instagram prank.

Watson was flying to Melbourne alongside women’s figureheads Alyssa Healy and Kristen Beams to ask Eddings to amend the sentence — and consider allowing the 24-yearold to play grade cricket — on the basis that her posting of a Hobart Hurricanes team list on social media pre-match was an innocent joke.

But Watson says Cricket Australia’s attitude to what he was hoping was an open meeting had been “pre-determined”.

News Corp has obtained an email Watson sent to Australian Cricketers members last night which advised that the meeting was now pointless because CA had declared the saga “case closed”.

Smith is understood to be disappointed that CA wasn’t willing to even have a discussion over the merits of reviewing a decision which has devastated her career and sparked outrage from many ex-players.

“We were pleased Cricket Australia recently accepted a request from the ACA for a face-to-face meeting with myself and fellow ACA board members Alyssa Healy and Kristen Beams,” Watson wrote to members.

“This made me hopeful the concerns of the players — a crucial partner in the development of the game and in maintaining its reputation for fairness for all and vigilance against corruption — would be appropriately considered.

“However, last night [Tuesday] we received a letter which advised us formally of Cricket Australia’s decision to close the matter of their sanctioning of Emily.

“As such, there is clearly no value in this meeting taking place, given the outcome has been pre-determined.”