Talk show king Alan Jones has weighed into cricket's industrial dispute, slamming Cricket Australia for their handling of pay negotiations with players.
Jones accused CA of a "money grab" and said if anyone should be unemployed after the June 30 deadline it should be the game's administrators rather than the players.
He said Australian cricket risked being the "laughing stock of the world" if no deal was struck and defended the players against claims of greed, saying they deserved better from the current administration.
His intervention came on the eve of the current agreement expiring. It follows an advisory email sent to players from CA's team performance boss, Pat Howard, where they were told they faced six months out of the game if they played in matches not approved by the International Cricket Council. That would effectively rule them out of playing in the Ashes.
Cricket's pay war is set to fall off the "cliff" on Friday if CA and players do not come to an agreement on a new pay deal.
CA chief James Sutherland warned players in an explosive email last month they risked being unemployed if no deal could be brokered.
Players are fighting for the retention of the revenue-share model that has been in place for 20 years, but CA says such a pay structure is not sustainable.
At risk are the upcoming Australia A tour of South Africa, the Test series against Bangladesh and the jewel in the crown, this summer's Ashes.
Jones is firmly on the players' side.
"Are these people really going to be unemployed by tomorrow? It's laughable," Jones told Fairfax Media.
"It's a front page story, it's the biggest crisis in Australian sport. We're the laughing stock of the world.
"If the players stick firm this mob are going to have to eat humble pie, that's the only answer – they ought to be doing it now.
"If anyone's going to be unemployed at 5pm, close of business, it should be a whole heap of people at Cricket Australia.
"If anyone can tell me what 450 people do in the administration and bureaucracy of Australian cricket I'd love to know."
Jones said players were not being unreasonable in asking for a 22.5 per cent of revenue and another 22.5 per cent for grass roots, leaving 55 per cent for CA.
"The issue here is it's a money grab by CA," Jones said.
"There'll be more money in the kitty for the 450 bureaucrats who I'd send to Centrelink. I don't know what they do, no one knows what they do but they wouldn't exist were it not for the cricketers."
CA has warned players they are placing their playing future in jeopardy by signing "unapproved endorsements".
"All players will be provided with a list of protected sponsors for 2017-18," Howard wrote in an email sent to players.
"Any player entering into unapproved endorsements during any uncontracted period puts at risk future endorsement arrangements with CA, State and W/BBL partners and puts you at risk of not being able to enter into a contract for the upcoming season with CA, the State or W/BBL Team."
CA said applications for No Objection Certificates (NOC), which are required before a player is allowed to play in a Twenty20 league operated by a rival board, would be dealt with on a "case by case basis".
"Players (including uncontracted players) cannot play in ICC approved cricket (e.g. domestic T20 competitions operated by overseas cricket boards) without approval from Cricket Australia," Howard wrote.
"Players who participate in disapproved cricket (e.g. exhibition matches) are not permitted to participate in ICC approved cricket for a minimum of six months thereafter."