An emotional Chadd Sayers has blamed Cricket Australia for the ongoing pay dispute, but the game's governing body insists that is far from the truth.
Fast bowler Sayers, 12th man for the Test side last summer and the Sheffield Shield player of the year, could have enhanced his Test hopes in this month's Australia A tour of South Africa, which was scrapped on Thursday.
He was one of four pacemen jockeying to replace a resting Mitchell Starc for next month's Test tour of Bangladesh. But his plans have been scuttled by the dispute over a new memorandum of understanding.
Negotiations between CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association were said to have been progressing well on Wednesday, giving hope of the A tour proceeding, but there has been further division over why that changed.
One version of events relayed to Fairfax Media says the talks broke down when ACA chief Alistair Nicholson joined the table and insisted the current revenue-sharing model be retained.
It's understood Nicholson makes no apology for wanting to retain the revenue-share model, while others have questioned whether any progress had initially been made. Sayers has also given his version of events.
"They [the ACA]Â went back in to discuss this week and they thought they were getting somewhere, then I think [on Wednesday]Â it got slapped back in their face ... It's, obviously, very disappointing and frustrating," he said.
The crux of the battle between players and CA is the latter's plan to cut players from the share of gross revenue they have enjoyed since 1997. CA wants players to share now in only surplus revenue. Provided the gross-revenue model is retained, it's understood players are willing to negotiate on the streams of revenue and what percentage of each is poured into men's and women's international and state cricket.
CA, however, claims the players are not willing to budge. CA says it has offered a range of models to get a deal done. Broadcast rights, sponsorship and gate receipts are the backbone of revenue.
CA says its has shown goodwill by budging recently on the distribution of surplus funds, where state-based male and female cricketers had been excluded in its initial submission. CA relented and had allowed all players to share in surplus funds, and said it was willing to negotiate what percentage they could take. But unless CA chief negotiator Kevin Roberts puts gross revenue back on the agenda, talks would appear unlikely to progress.
Players insist they are willing to negotiate over CA's fears they immediately want a slice of any CA initiative, which would take time to generate revenue. Players say they are willing to negotiate how long they should wait and what percentage they should have before partnering CA on a deal.
While negotiations stall, about 200 players are unemployed while about 70 are still being paid because they have multi-year contracts.
Sayers is unemployed and his frustration was understandable in a battle that is starting to have an impact on players and their families, and has this summer's Ashes and Big Bash League in doubt.
"They [CA] didn't want mediation. They're fully against this revenue-sharing model. I can't believe they wouldn't want us to be playing cricket and going to South Africa," Sayers told Radio 5AA.
The final decision, though, to pull out of South Africa was made by the players.
While CA had contemplated allowing squad members to play for free, so their Test hopes would not be jeopardised, Fairfax Media understands all players would have been paid.
"It's not fair if blokes like us go over and get paid to play cricket when there's blokes back at home, and younger guys back at home, not getting paid to train," Sayers said.
"So we had to make a stance and, hopefully, Cricket Australia can come to the party soon. We're not being greedy ... we're not asking for any more. We've actually gone down a few per cent in that model."
A deal will need to be done within weeks otherwise Australia's Test tour of Bangladesh will also be scrapped. The first Test is due to begin on August 27.