Smith vows no backing down in pay row

AUSTRALIA captain Steve Smith yesterday said the players wouldu d not ot back down in their bitter pay dispute pute with Cricket Australia.

Days after the players boyoycotted an Australia A tour to o South Africa, Smith said thehe nation’s cricketers were resosolute in wanting to keep the long-standing revenue-sharing haring pay deal, linked to the game’s overall financial fortunes.

“I’ll say what we as players rs have been saying for some time me now: we are not giving up the revenuevenuesharing model for all players,” ayers,” Smith said in an Instagram agram post.

“But, through the ACA [Australian Cricketers’ Association], ation], we are willing to make impormportant changes to modernisee the existing model for the good od of the game.

“We are and have alwaysys been willing to make those changes. “Changes Changes for how t the model can be adapted for the eveneve greater benefit of grassroots crick cricket, which is after all where we all st started.” After months of negotiations, the players and CA fail failed to reach agreement on a new pay deal, leaving 230 crickete cricketers unemployed since the enden of June when their contra contracts expired. I n a n es esca lat ion of t he protracted pay dispute, the pl a y e r s , t h r oug h t hei r u n ion t he AC A , l a s t Thurs Thursday decided they would boycott the Aust r ra a l ia A tou r of Sout h Africa t hat was due to sta r rt t o on July 12. The There are fears now that the pay row could scup scupper next month’s Tes Test tour to Banglade desh, the one-day international series in India in September and even the Ashes against England.

The Ashes are due to begin with the first of five Tests in Brisbane in late November.

‘Fair share’ for all

Smith said players were resisting CA attempts to adopt changes to the revenue-sharing model which was introduced 20 years ago.

“We are determined to keep revenue sharing for all because we must take care of domestic players in Australia,” Smith said. “As leaders, that’s what David [ Warner], Meg [Lanning], Alex [Blackwell] and I have been fighting for – a fair share for state players who are also partners in cricket.

“I know from my career that when I was dropped in 2011 if I didn’t have a strong domestic competition to go back to, I certainly wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in today.

“State players need to be taken care of financially so the domestic competition will always be strong which in turn keeps us strong at the international level.”

Smith said Australia’s female cricketers also had to be covered in the same deal as their male counterparts.

“As women’s cricket gets bigger and bigger in Australia, women players must also be able to share in what they will be earning,” he said.

“They must have the same chances and incentives to grow the game as the men have had since revenue sharing started.

“And I know I speak for all of the men that we want women cricketers in the one deal with the men as well.

“It’s time to get a deal done. It should be and can be an exciting time for the game.”

The CA website said talks were expected to resume between the two parties today.