There was a brief détente in the salary dispute that seemed so unseemly, given that we are talking about the sporting event where the level of decorum is beyond reproach and probably superior to that of any other sport save polo, golf or rugby, namely cricket.
The players seem to be in the mood to bargain, or have least made overtures in that mood in the direction of Cricket Australia, with Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques suggesting that progress in the talks could be made if both sides would only extend a “little bit of give.”
Henriques is a member of the 15-man Australian Champions Trophy Squad, so as an employee of the employer with whom he is in a contest of wills, it could be construed that he is not precisely objective, or that they olive branch he extended might not be used as a cudgel to gain monetary concessions from Australia’s governing cricket body.
Speaking with the Herald Sun, Henriques said, “Maybe CA might have to give a little bit, in the end we may have to give a little bit, who knows. But the players know we need to get to an agreement. We want to play cricket. Guys want to play international cricket. Guys want to play state cricket. The players want a deal sorted and I am sure CA does as well.”
Cricket Australia, however, has been forthright in suggesting that the players may be being led astray by their union representatives.
The standoff between the two sides has taken an unattractive turn and has gone on for an extended time.
The Australian Cricketers Association seems unwilling to blindly accept CA’s recent proclamation that the Big Bash League is losing money and that CA’s insistence on stonewalling and refusal to negotiate in good faith was a tactic that needed to cease.
Something must be worked out by June 30, which is when the current revenue sharing system expires.
