Aussie cricket in turmoil

MELBOURNE. - A bitter pay dispute between Australia’s cricketers and the national board appears set to remain unresolved by today’s deadline, leaving more than 200 players unemployed and upcoming series against Bangladesh and England in jeopardy.

Eleventh hour talks have failed to produce a breakthrough this week and relations have soured to the point that the players’ union is refusing to deal with Cricket Australia’s (CA) lead negotiator.

The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has demanded CA’s long-serving chief executive James Sutherland step up to the dealing table and help end a standoff that could ultimately trigger a damaging round of player boycotts.

The existing pay deal, known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will expire at midnight today, two days before players selected for an Australia A tour of South Africa are to report for a training camp in Brisbane.

CA has remained silent on Sutherland’s intentions but high performance boss Pat Howard has made the board’s position clear.

Howard warned players in an email on Wednesday not to sign with other sponsors or play in “disapproved” cricket in case it put them “at risk” of a potential, future CA contract. - Reuters.