Cricket Australia’s pay dispute is unlikely to be resolved by this Friday’s deadline, with Australia’s elite players standing in solidarity with their Sheffield Shield counterparts, according to Darren Berry.
The former Victorian wicketkeeper told SEN Afternoons that The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) was prepared for no deal to be completed, as talks hit crisis point.
“It appears we’re a fair way away with three days to go. I’m not sure it’s going to get done,” he said.
“We know that the players’ association have put plan B into place to protect their players.”
“There’s been some pretty explosive words from Shane Watson to say the big boys might play in the South African T20 comp…gee I hope it doesn’t get to that.”
Berry said he worries about the future of state players, who are currently in the midst of training.
“I’m concerned about the state players as well. They’re training now, so in three days time is that going to cease? Do they still get access to the facilities or do Cricket Australia lock them out? So many questions are unanswered.”
“The players are holding fat and sticking together. Cricket Australia appears to have tried to segregate and loosen up the top end...well the guys like Warner and Smith have stuck fat to say ‘We want to protect the Shield players we’re all in this together.”
The dispute has also opened the door for international players to compete for riches in prominent international leagues, with Cricket Australia losing the right to control the movement of their players.
“When players go to play in the Indian Premier League, they have to get the approval of Cricket Australia and they have the ability to say no. Now, if they’re not under contract, do they still have that ability?
“So that’s another complication. There’s so many layers to this dispute and argument and I hope behind the scenes there’s a lot more happening…but my information to this point is that it’s not going to get done by Friday.”