Strike threat looms as CA's negotiations with Oz cricketers nears stalemate

Sydney, Jun 9 (ANI): With the threat of a players' strike looming, Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland has said he is "surprised and a little bit disappointed" over the attitude of the cricketers' union as negotiations over performance-related pay is nearing a crisis point.

Cricket Australia and the players' union were still "further apart" than desired in negotiations, Sutherland said.

The current pay deal expires on June 30, and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has not ruled out strike action, meaning Australia's participation in the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September and this month's one-day international tour of England are both under threat.

CA wants to introduce a new performance-based pay system, under a reworked definition of cricket revenue, which it says will leave players about $80 million better off in the next five years.

Sutherland said the cricket board and the ACA were "further apart than we would like to be" but defended proposals for a new performance-based pay system, which he says will leave players better off.

"We have put a very substantial offer on the table, it's in the vicinity of $80 million more over a five-year period than what we paid in the preceding five-year period," Sutherland said. 80 million dollars is a lot of money and that is based on our conservative revenue projections.

"If we go half way towards meeting our more optimistic ambitions with revenue growth, that increase in player payments will be even more significant than 80 million dollars."

ACA chief Paul Marsh has said the negotiations over the new five-year deal have reached a stalemate and although he did not rule out strike action he insisted it would be "an absolute last resort."

Players currently get 26 percent of cricket revenue. (ANI)