Aaron Finch believes the Aussies won't back down in the pay dispute

Amidst the ongoing pay dispute between Cricket Australia (CA) and Australian Cricketers Association (ACA), former Twenty20 International and ODI captain Aaron Finch says player resolve is as strong as ever as negotiations over the ugly pay dispute rocking Australian cricket having taken a backseat yet again.

After a week of what seemed like a way to end the deadlock with hopes that a resolution was imminent, talks again reportedly broke down on Friday. The players’ union is reportedly angered at the latest breakdown in talks, with the focal point again being the much-discussed revenue-share system which the players remain adamant must be a part of any new Memorandum of Understanding.

Players will not budge

It’s an issue on which Finch says the players simply “will not budge” and praised the courage of the male and female cricketers who held their ground despite the fact that more than 200 of them have been unemployed following the expiration of the last MoU. After the end of Australian women team’s campaign in the Women’s World Cup, 15 more players have been added to the list.

It was reported on Friday that the latest blow to negotiations has again put August’s proposed two-Test tour of Bangladesh in jeopardy. However, despite losing the financial security, the players remain steadfast in their stand. That was a point made forcefully by Finch, who is now spending the winter with English county side Surrey.

“The players’ stance won’t change,” Finch told the UK’s Evening Standard. “We are not being paid at the moment but we are seeing the strength of the group. It takes courage to stick this tight.”

“It’s not easy but this is what we are doing and we will stay strong until a deal is done. It would have been easy for the big players to roll over and not worry about anyone else but we have seen players like David Warner stand strong for everyone else. We are not willing to budge,” he added.

“Without Australia, without state cricket, everyone suffers — the game suffers and it’s not fair on the fans who want to watch top-level cricket. The players have been fair and reasonable with their requests and we hope a deal can eventually be done,” he further stated.

“Through the ACA we are willing to make important changes to modernise the existing model for the good of the game. We are and have always been willing to make those changes,” Finch concluded.

Reports on Friday suggested the ACA’s revised revenue share model had been rejected at the negotiating table, though CA put on a brave front and indicated nothing had been rejected and talks remain ongoing. Further talks are expected to continue on Monday in order to find headway.