Warner 'pretty sure' of MOU resolution

Australia Test vice-captain David Warner said Sunday he is "pretty sure" the current stalemate in negotiations for a new Memorandum of Understanding will be resolved, but claims the players accept that if it is not achieved by the impending June 30 deadline they will fall out of contract.

Warner, who spoke to media in England where Australia's one-day outfit is contesting the ICC Champions Trophy tournament, said he remained fully supportive of the Australian Cricketers Association and claimed "they are doing a great job for us".

"If we are unemployed, we have no contracts, we can't play," Warner said when asked if the Australia players were prepared to sit out upcoming international contests after June 30 if an agreement can't be reached.

"We are pretty sure that they will come to an agreement.

"But, as you know, we are going to be unemployed come July 1. So we have to wait and see.

"It is a big thing that we could be unemployed.

"But from us, our job is to play cricket, focus on winning the (Champions Trophy) tournament and not let our country down."

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The ACA and Cricket Australia have remained at loggerheads since formal negotiations over the 600-plus page MOU document were scheduled to begin last December.

Both sides have presented proposals for modifications to the structure to the new pay deal, but they have been quickly dismissed by the rival party and, as a consequence, negotiations have yet to begin.

CA's proposal offered all international men's and women's players a share of surplus revenue up to $20 million as well as a 25 per cent pay increase for men and a doubling of payments to women, while domestic players were offered capped pay rises of 18 per cent (men) and around 150 per cent (women).

The ACA's response retains the existing revenue-sharing model for all players, but proposes a smaller proportion for players (22.5 per cent compared to current 25 per cent) with 22.5 per cent to grassroots cricket and 55 per cent to CA, although their broadened definition of 'revenue' under that model means they estimate the total 'pie' to grow to $2.6 billion over the next five years.

A figure that CA has challenged as being "little more than guesswork", adding the financial details underpinning their proposal will be made available when MOU negotiations begin.

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CA Chief Executive James Sutherland wrote to his ACA counterpart Alistair Nicholson last month claiming "a lot of time has been wasted" by the players' union and noting that if an agreement was not in place by July 1, "CA is not contemplating alternative contracting arrangements to pay players beyond 30 June if their contracts have expired".

That prompted Warner to warn that "if it (the stand-off) gets to the extreme they (CA) might not have a team for the Ashes", a reference to the upcoming five-Test series between Australia and England that begins in Brisbane on November 23.

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The ACA have since called for an independent mediator be appointed to the process, a request that CA has twice rejected on the grounds it would be "extraordinary" for mediation to be applied to smooth negotiations that have yet to begin.

The players' union has also announced a series of measures in recent weeks as contingencies should an MOU deal not be reached, including the establishment of a player support fund and a wholly-owned company to manage and commercialise the intellectual property rights of players should they fall out of contract.

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Last week, the ACA's player liaison manager Simon Katich also called for an independent investigation into CA's financial management of the Big Bash League upon learning that the franchise competition had lost $33 million in its first five years of operation.

That was rejected amid claims that the ACA had been made aware of the BBL's financial position six months earlier, and CA also called on "the ACA to spend more time at the negotiating table and less time writing press releases in order to begin making progress towards a resolution".

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Warner said today the players remained "pretty vocal and upbeat" having collectively entrusted all dealing over the MOU negotiations to the ACA.

"It is only what we hear in the media and that's how CA have been driving it the whole way," Warner said when asked about the level of direct engagement between players and CA.

"They have been using the media as a voice and we get the message from there."

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation

Schedule

1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result

3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)