Cricket Australia acknowledges a new MOU will not be agreed before July 1

Cricket Australia today acknowledged that it will not agree with a new Memorandum of Understanding before July 1. CA also called for the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) to carry out further negotiations regarding the pay dispute, and show ‘genuine flexibility’ in order to resolve the issue with the players and the board.

It had earlier proposed a new pay structure whereby players receive a fixed share of revenue. However, the board is disappointed that the ACA has been unwilling to understand the necessity of the revised model which it has proposed. Despite the new pay structure offering a significant hike in pay as well as benefits over the next five years, the Australian cricketers have rejected CA’s latest proposal.

CA offered concessions

Less than a week ago, CA offered to make notable concessions in an effort to reach an agreement by 30th June. However, the ACA rejected these as well without any discussion. The board had made a sincere effort to address key concerns raised by players through the concessions. The players have vocally called for including all domestic players alongside internationals in the share of the game’s surplus.

If the dialogues don’t make progress, it will result in many players ending up without a contract from midnight tonight. Cricket Australia is afraid that this may strain the cricketers as well as their families, both financially as well as emotionally.

According to the CA, the old model, which was put in place 20 years ago, cannot be implemented anymore. The game has changed fundamentally since then as players are now well rewarded. The challenge, however, remains to fund the game at grassroots level.

With time running out, CA is requesting elite players to make a contribution towards meeting this need. The players have been assured that they will continue receiving very significant increases in pay and benefits over the next MOU period. The ACA needs to work with a sense of urgency if they wish to not jeopardise the future of their players’.