CRICKET TOUR IN BALANCE

EVERYONE WANTS TO REPRESENT THEIR COUNTRY, WE’RE HEARING THEY ARE TALKING THIS WEEK AND THE PLAYERS HAVE SHOWN THEIR GOOD FAITH TO PREPARE AS IF THEY ARE GOING ON TOUR. JASON GILLESPIE

FORMER Test quick Jason Gillespie has appealed for cricket’s bitter pay dispute to be sorted out urgently as Australia A’s tour of South Africa hangs in the balance.

Now coach of the Australia A team, Gillespie is due to head overseas on Saturday with a strong squad headlined by skipper Usman Khawaja, allrounder Glenn Maxwell and quick Jackson Bird.

But the 71-Test veteran admits the Australia A squad, which trained in Brisbane yesterday, is in limbo as Cricket Australia and the ACA fight to deliver the sport’s next Memorandum of Understanding.

Tensions in cricket’s pay dispute have become so acute that even former Test openers Michael Slater and Ed Cowan clashed on radio on Monday over an issue that has polarised opinion for months.

The ACA will back a player boycott of the South African tour if their demands are not met by CA powerbrokers, but Gillespie remains hopeful his Australia A squad will not be victims of the impasse.

“At this stage I genuinely don’t know if we are going,” Gillespie said.

“I would like to think the two sides can get together and we can get on that plane and go to South Africa.

“Everyone wants to represent their country, we’re hearing they are talking this week and the players have shown their good faith to prepare as if they are going on tour. I’d like to think that Cricket Australia and the ACA can come up with a compromise, if you will, and we can get cracking on this tour.

“But all we can do now is wait and, as coaching staff, help these lads prepare for the tour.

“If it comes to Friday and the tour doesn’t go ahead, it doesn’t go ahead, but we have to train as normal.

“It’s business as usual right now.”

Gillespie, who claimed 259 Test scalps at 26.13, dismissed fears players aren’t truly valued as key stakeholders by Cricket Australia.

“Cricket Australia do believe that players are partners in the game,” he said.

“To be truthful, I am on the outside, I haven’t had any involvement in this and it’s not nice to see, but I’m really confident that things can be sorted out.

“Everyone has the game’s best interests at heart.

“I certainly don’t see it (a boycott) getting to that point.

“I’m sure they will come to an agreement and we can put this behind us.”