Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland, has dampened speculation about a major row with its leading players over next year's Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
At least 11 of Australia's top players, including the captain, Ricky Ponting, and vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist, have signed a memorandum of understanding to play in the tournament in April and May, when Australia will be in Pakistan. The players could earn up to $1m (£486,000) each.
Sutherland said he had written to the players saying he would not grant them consent to play unless his organisation was involved in negotiations. He dismissed suggestions, in an Australian newspaper, that a major split was looming.
Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland, has dampened speculation about a major row with its leading players over next year's Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
At least 11 of Australia's top players, including the captain, Ricky Ponting, and vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist, have signed a memorandum of understanding to play in the tournament in April and May, when Australia will be in Pakistan. The players could earn up to $1m (£486,000) each.
Sutherland said he had written to the players saying he would not grant them consent to play unless his organisation was involved in negotiations. He dismissed suggestions, in an Australian newspaper, that a major split was looming.
"There's no issue between Cricket Australia and the players," Sutherland said. "The letter is really just of procedural nature, just reminding players of responsibilities as this issue continues to develop with opportunities into the Indian Premier League."
CA's manager of public affairs, Peter Young, dismissed comparisons between the current issue and Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket breakaway 30 years ago. "I think it is over-egging the pudding a little bit," he said. "It is more an issue of saying it is a bit rude to sign up without talking to your employer. It would be a breach of contract to play without our permission."
Gilchrist agreed, saying: "I think it's pretty dramatic to draw comparisons between the Twenty20 revolution and World Series Cricket all those years ago. World Series Cricket was quite dramatic and there was a lot of bad blood around at that time, from what I've learned, but it's far from that at the moment. No one will play [in the IPL] without consent.
"We're not trying to be rebels here. We're not looking for a moment to bend the rules or our contracts with Cricket Australia. They are our employer, as simple as that."
Source : http://sport.guardian.co.uk
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