Cricket Australia on verge of ending pay dispute with players

New Delhi: In what has surely come has a relief for fans of Australian cricket, it has now emerged that Cricket Australia is in the final stages of sorting out the pay dispute with its players. According to Australian media reports, a Cricket Australia official has confirmed the latest development which will bring the 230 players back to the fold.

It must be remembered that all international and domestic players in Australia have been unemployed for more than a month, starting July 1 this year.

This new development has come just a day after Australian captain Steven Smith giving his take on the whole mess.

Talking to Foxsports.com.au on whether he would like to take the upcoming Bangladesh tour, he was quoted to be saying, “I’d like to, but as we’ve said for a long time we need to get the deal done first. I don’t think it would be fair for us to go away after the [Australia] A guys were very strong on not going away on their tour, for us to then go away I don’t think that’s fair.”

He further said, “CA [Cricket Australia] know this, they’ve been told this. I told [CA’s executive general manager team performance] Pat Howard personally that this was how things were going to be if there wasn’t a deal done.”

He also said, “It’s had some difficult moments. When this is all over with, I have to deal with Pat Howard, I have to deal with the [CA] board and speak to James Sutherland so I have to be careful with what sort of lines I tread. Talking to the two parties and trying to figure out what each of them want and the best way forward. It’s been a long process and hopefully it comes to a close soon.”