Players won't fold in pay row: Steve Smith
Jul 9, 2017 - 4:52 AM Australian captain Steve Smith says there's no chance of players folding in their pay dispute with Cricket Australia.Days after players boycotted an Australia A tour, Smith says cricketers remain steadfast in wanting to keep the revenue sharing pay model of the past two decades.
"I'll say what we as players have been saying for some time now: we are not giving up the revenue-sharing model for all players," Smith said in an Instagram post on Sunday.
"But, through the ACA (Australian Cricketers' Association) 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.
"Changes for how the model can be adapted for the even greater benefit of grass roots cricket, which is after all where we all started."
About 230 Australian cricketers are effectively unemployed following the expiry of a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) which covered wages.
The expiration led to players, through their union the ACA, in last Thursday deciding to boycott the Australia A tour of South Africa.
The move is only the second instance of a player-driven boycott of a tour in Australian sport, following the national women's soccer team refusal to tour the United States in 2015 in a row over pay and conditions.
At the heart of the cricket dispute is the revenue sharing model which was introduced 20 years ago - CA wants to adopt a different model.
"We are determined to keep revenue sharing for all because we must take care of domestic players in Australia," Smith said.
"As leaders that's what David (Warner), Meg (Lanning) Alex (Blackwell) and I have been fighting for: a fair share for state players who are also partners in cricket.
"I know from my career that when I was dropped in 2011 if I didn't have a strong domestic competition to go back to, I certainly wouldn't be in the position that I'm in today.
"State players need to be taken care of financially so the domestic competition will always be strong which in turn keeps us strong at the international level."
Smith said the nation's women's cricketers must also be covered in the same deal as their male counterparts.
"As women's cricket gets bigger and bigger in Australia women players must also be able to share in what they will be earning," he said.
"They must have the same chances and incentives to grow the game as the men have had since revenue sharing started.
"And I know I speak for all of the men that we want women cricketers in the one deal with the men as well.
"It's time to get a deal done. It should be and can be an exciting time for the game."
Source: AAP
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