News site of the year

Sport
  1. Home
  2. Sport
  3. Cricket
EXCLUSIVE
Save
Print
License article

Cricket Australia to offer unpaid contracts to five players in pay dispute

Five of the country's elite cricketers will be offered the chance to join an Australia A tour of South Africa next month on unpaid contracts in an extraordinary move by Cricket Australia to save the trip.

On another day of drama in cricket's bitter fight over a new memorandum of understanding, Fairfax Media can also reveal the cricketers will not be locked out even if a new pay deal is not struck by Friday's deadline for a new memorandum of understanding.

Up Next

Eels fend off Bulldogs in golden point

null
Video duration
01:30

More Sports HQ Videos

null
Video duration
01:30

Eels fend off Bulldogs in golden point

null
Video duration
01:21

Waleed Aly defends role in Houli tribunal ...
More videos

Watson threatens legal action over pay dispute

Former Test allrounder Shane Watson is concerned over his eligibility in the future to play in overseas tournaments.

Players will be told that they can continue to use the sport's elite training and medical facilities once the current MOU expires this week.

There had been fears the players would have been locked out by CA but that is not the case. This has been seen by those close to the negotiations as a sign of good faith. However, if there is no new deal in place, stars including Steve Smith and David Warner will not be paid but can continue to train. Only state-based players on multi-year deals will continue to be paid unless they decide to strike.

Related Articles

It also emerged on Tuesday that Cricket Australia will give five of the 14-man squad due to head to South Africa the chance to play for free so as not to jeopardise their international aspirations.The five are Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird and Travis Head, who enjoy CA contracts.

In a rare move, these players are set to be offered the chance to tour on unpaid - but all expenses covered - deals. This has been seen as a way of allowing them to enhance their Test aspirations, for Khawaja, Maxwell and Agar have been selected for the tour of Bangladesh in August.

Advertisement

It's also been seen as a way of allowing the players to tour without having to break ranks with teammates and the Australian Cricketers Association, for they would essentially play for the love of the game without needing to potentially strike over money.

Others have seen the move as an attempt to wedge the five players, adding pressure on the need to find resolution in the pay battle otherwise careers start to be impacted.

The A tour was also going to play a major role in determining Mitchell Starc's replacement for Bangladesh, for the spearhead has a foot issue and will be rested. The squad is due to meet in Brisbane on Monday for a training camp.

The ACA did not wish to comment when asked directly about the unpaid proposal, declaring more information would have to be sought. But earlier on Tuesday, ACA president Greg Dyer insisted players remained unified in their bid to retain the set-percentage-of-revenue model, embraced since 1997, that is at the heart of this battle and were prepared to show this through action.

"The players are very resilient. As we've gone further into this, each time CA has effectively gone around the ACA and direct to the players, which was specifically not what the players wanted, their resolve has strengthened. Their attitude to Australia A and other tours beyond that, I don't see them as being likely to change their views on how they should approach those tours," Dyer said.

The former Australian wicketkeeper reiterated a new MOU was unlikely to be brokered this week, forcing both parties to "jump over the cliff".

The players union again called for CA boss James Sutherland to come to the negotiation table, saying it was "bewildering" he had not been involved. However, he is still in England and would not be able to meet personally with ACA counterpart Alistair Nicholson until Thursday.

If there is no deal, players without multi-year deals will be effectively unemployed, making them free agents to join rival competitions should broadcasters make a pitch to the ACA's new image rights company, The Cricketers' Brand.

Former Australian star Shane Watson said CA would have no right to stop players from seeking outside employment.

"If CA knock back an NOC [No Objection Certification] that's a significant restraint of trade as well," Watson, who has retired from international cricket and is an ACA executive member, said. 

"In the end, I've got a Big Bash contract. Of course, I've got to get a NOC signed. For them to restrict my potential to be able to play and be employed somewhere else, there would be some pretty serious legal issues there."

At an ACA golf day raising money for the player hardship fund, former Test batsman Ed Cowan questioned the legality of multi-year state contracts, which were signed under the current revenue share model.

"They don't mean much, do they. They're contracted but if they're not being paid, there's no obligation to then fulfil those contractual obligations," Cowan said of the contracts.

Under CA's initial plan, those state players would no longer share in the revenue share model although, as of last Friday, CA has allowed them to now enjoy a slice of surplus revenue.

Dyer said CA's revised offer, which also included a pay rise for state players, was unsatisfactory.

Players who will be immediately affected should the A tour of South Africa be scrapped.

Australia A four-day squad: Usman Khawaja (c), Glenn Maxwell (vc), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jackson Bird, Alex Carey, Hilton Cartwright, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.

​Australia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Heazlett, Daniel Hughes, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth

Australia A tour of South Africa

Four-day matches: 

12-15 July: Australia A v South Africa A, Tukkies 

19-22 July: Australia A v South Africa A, Senwes Park  

One-day tri-series: 

July 26: Australia A v India A, Tukkies 

July 30: Australia A v South Africa A, Groenkloof 

August 1: Australia A v India A, Tukkies 

August 5: Australia A v South Africa A, Tukkies 

August 8: Tri Series Final, Tukkies 

Related Articles