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Internet Desk: The Australian team will not back down with their pay dispute with Cricket Australia according to skipper Steve Smith. Smith said Australian cricketers are stubborn in wanting to keep the old pay deal after the players decided to boycott the tour of Australia A on South Africa.
“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.
“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 grassroots cricket, which is after all where we all started.”
The CA failed to reach an agreement with the players after months of negotiations leaving 230 cricketers unemployed since June of this year.
Not agreeing to new pay deal, the players decided to boycott the tour of South Africa which is scheduled to start on July 12.
There are fears now that the pay row could scupper next month’s Test tour to Bangladesh, the one-day international series in India in September and even the Ashes against England.
The Ashes are due to begin with the first of five Tests in Brisbane in late November.
Smith said players were resisting CA attempts to adopt changes to the revenue-sharing model which was introduced 20 years ago.
“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.”