Aussies pitch for training – for now
PLAYERS turned up for training yesterday ahead of the Australia A tour of South Africa, despite the threat to boycott the trip because of a bitter pay dispute.
After months of negotiations, the players and Cricket Australia (CA) have failed to reach agreement on a new pay deal, leaving 230 players unemployed since the end of last month when their contracts expired.
The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) executive Alistair Nicholson said a “significant breakthrough” in the stand-off was needed by Friday for the South Africa tour to proceed.
Nevertheless, players were sticking to their schedule and reported for training with coach, Jason Gillespie, in Brisbane for the tour which is due to start on July 12. “As a coach, I’ll help the players prepare as well as we can,” said Gillespie.
“We have to have the attitude as if we are going to be travelling.”
The pay row also threatens to derail upcoming Australia tours to Bangladesh and India as well as this year’s prestige home Ashes series against England.
Cricket Australia’s national talent manager Greg Chappell remained optimistic that a swift solution could be found.
“I’m expecting that we will see a positive resolution in the not too distant future,” he said.
CA and the players’ union hit an impasse after the board attempted to scrap a 20-year-old arrangement of giving cricketers a fixed share of revenues, in favour of dividing surpluses among elite players and offering a pay rise.
Former Australian captain Michael Clarke urged the parties to extend the existing deal for 12 months to allow for more negotiations. “Just keep the same MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) for the next 12 months to allow negotiations to, let’s say the word continue, but sort negotiations out,” he said in Sydney.
“The players want to play, they want to play for their country, there’s no doubt about it.” — AFP Plaatjes.
“After the disappointment of last year we have the chance to redeem ourselves.”
“I am still a bit worried because it is the rainy season but I am hoping the weather will play along this time and we can have a full weekend of exciting cricket.”
Border will host the fourth leg of the Cup from September 15-17 and will take on Zimbabwe, KwaZuluNatal Inland and Boland for a chance to finish top of the group and progress to the finals weekend which will take place a week later at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.
“We would like to win the Africa Cup T20, I think we are good enough and it would also be a massive boost for us going into the regular season with a win like that under your belt,” said Plaatjes.
“But we are in a very competitive pool, all of the teams in it have a chance but hopefully homeground