Aussie star Warner hits out at bosses

David Warner has suggested that Cricket Australia risks unsettling its players before tomorrow’s pivotal Champions Trophy clash with England by releasing a video which has renewed unease in the ongoing contract dispute.

Warner has been vociferous about his and his team-mates’ determination to stand their ground as CA and the Australia Cricketers’ Association try – in vain so far – to find agreement before a deadline at the end of this month on a memorandum of understanding for the new pay deal.

Two days before Australia face England at Edgbaston in a Group A match they almost certainly must win to stay in this summer’s global tournament, their vice-captain was unable to sound a conciliatory note with his employers.

As he prepares for a fixture also notable as a rematch from the 2013 edition of the same competition – during which Warner caused a stir by aiming a punch at opposing batsman Joe Root following a late-night misunderstanding in a city-centre bar – he made it clear he is unimpressed by the release of the video this week, and comments in it from CA negotiator Kevin Roberts.

Warner has previously questioned whether he and the rest of Steve Smith’s team will be available to face England in next winter’s Ashes if no common ground can be found to keep their employment contracts intact.

In the video, Roberts described the long-established current payment model as “unbalanced and unsustainable” as a means to help fund grassroots cricket.

Warner said: “We’re the ones that have been here putting it through social media, and CA are the guys who have been trying to explain via videos. They obviously haven’t thought about the process – we’ve given back almost (Aus dollars) 30million (£17.5million) to grassroots cricket.

“But we’re here to win, and if CA want to try and help us win I think they wouldn’t be releasing videos like that.”