Ashes threat as Australia pay row misses deadline

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia (CA) said it had failed to strike a new pay deal with the players’ union ahead of Friday’s deadline, leaving players unemployed and threatening fixtures including this year’s Ashes series.

CA said there was no prospect of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) being resolved with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) before the current deal expires at midnight local time.

The impasse, following weeks of acrimonious dispute, throws into question the immediate future of almost 230 men and women players at domestic and international level, most of whom are now out of contract.

CA said in a statement, “that a new Memorandum of Understanding will not be agreed before 1 July.”

“And repeated its call for the Australian Cricketers’ Association to come to the negotiating table and show genuine flexibility in the best interests of the players and the game.

“CA has been disappointed by the ACA’s unwillingness to consider the sensible and necessary change CA has proposed to the fixed share of revenue player payments model.”

Along with the players, fixtures are also at risk including Australia’s Test tour to Bangladesh from August, the one-day international series in India in September and the home Ashes series against England later this year.

CA and the players’ union have hit an impasse after the board attempted to scrap the 20-yearold arrangement of giving players a fixed share of revenues, in favor of dividing surpluses among elite players and offering a pay rise.

Leading players have hit out at the move to scrap revenue sharing, with Australia batsman David Warner insisting they “will not budge” and threatening strike action during the Ashes.

Following the missed deadline, players who are on multi-year contracts that go beyond June 30 will continue to be paid, and will be required to play and train as before.

The Australia A tour to South Africa in July is the first in the firing line, with its fate unknown if a new accord is not struck.

Players were due to assemble in Brisbane for training on Monday ahead of the South Africa trip. The first tour match is supposed to start on July 12.

Reports said CA could hand out-of-contract stars like Glenn Maxwell and Usman Khawaja tour contracts to play the series, although there is also the possibility of a boycott.