Brendon Julian says Cricket Australia must resolve pay dispute quickly

The ongoing pay dispute between Cricket Australia and Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) has reached a critical phase now. The dispute is going on for more than 6 months now and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CA and ACA will expire on June 30, the chances of resolution still seem very bleak. Brendon Julian former Australian cricketer has urged Cricket Australia‘s CEO James Sutherland to take more charge in this matter.

Julian wants talks to be between CEO to CEO

James Sutherland has appeared only once in this long dispute and has never shown any serious intent to solve the dispute. Julian who is a prominent television commentator has said that Sutherland needs to assert himself more.

“Cricket’s at a knife-edge point, I think, and it should be CEO to CEO,” Julian said on Wednesday (June 21). “It should always be like that in negotiations of this importance. And if you can’t get anywhere, then you go to mediation. I’m just so surprised it’s gone along like this. I think it’s time the CEO steps in takes this thing a few steps forward.” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

He lamented the fact, that Cricket Australia hasn’t negotiated well with the players till now.

“I don’t think they’re intentionally seeing it as ‘us and them’, but I think Cricket Australia’s got to make sure they negotiate, pure and simple, and listen to the players,” he added. “The whole atmosphere of it feels like we’ve gone back 20 years.”

Players protests can be expected

The Australian players are contemplating holding exhibition matches. Australian players won’t get paid after July 1. So they are considering taking part in South Africa‘s T20 competition.

Alistair Nicholson the ACA CEO, said that Cricket Australia must take a cue from AFL (Australian Football League). He hailed AFL’s payment model as a success. “What these two parties are trying to achieve is what cricket has enjoyed for 20 years,” he said. “The AFL is at a different stage of evolving the partnership than cricket. But what’s clear is that this sense of co-operation is the way to go.” Nicholson said.

Australian cricket can suffer some irreparable damage if they don’t sort out this dispute.