Skipper Smith weighs in on MoU dispute

Australia captain Steve Smith has taken to social media to voice his support for the Australian Cricketers' Association and their commitment to retaining the revenue-share model of player payments that remains central to the ongoing stand-off.

Smith is one of around 200 professional cricketers who became uncontracted and therefore unemployed when the July 1 deadline – by which time a new Memorandum of Understanding was scheduled to be in place – passed with no agreement last weekend.

Smith posted a statement on Instagram reaffirming the players and their union will not compromise their push to maintain the revenue-share model that Cricket Australia wants to modify, and reaffirmed that their stance was to support men's and women's cricketers at domestic level.

"I'll say what we as players have been saying for some time now: we are not giving up the revenue sharing model for all players," Smith wrote.

"But, through the ACA we are willing to make important changes to modernise the existing model for the good of the game. 

"We are and have always been willing to make those changes. 

"Changes for how the model can be adapted for the even greater benefit of grass roots cricket, which is after all where we all started. 

"We are determined to keep revenue sharing for all because we must take care of domestic players in Australia.

"As leaders that’s what David (Warner), Meg (Lanning), Alex (Blackwell) and I have been fighting for: a fair share for state players who are also partners in cricket. 

"I know from my career that when I was dropped in 2011 if I didn't have a strong domestic competition to go back to, I certainly wouldn't be in the position that I'm in today. 

"State players need to be taken care of financially so the domestic competition will always be strong which in turn keeps us strong at the International level. 

"Also as Women's cricket gets bigger and bigger in Australia women players must also be able to share in what they will be earning. 

"They must have the same chances and incentives to grow the game as the men have had since revenue sharing started. 

"And I know I speak for all of the men that we want women cricketers in the one deal with the men as well. 

"It's time to get a deal done. 

"It should be and can be an exciting time for the game."

Read more: 'Disappointed' CA respond to 'A' tour cancellation

In response, a CA spokesperson said today: "CA respects that players are entitled to express their opinion and remains 100 per cent focused on reaching a resolution to the MOU as soon as possible."

While negotiations between CA and the players' union, including direct communication between the organisations' respective Chief Executives James Sutherland and Alistair Nicholson, continued last week the players announced on Thursday they had withdrawn from the proposed Australia A tour to South Africa.

That month-long campaign featuring four-day matches against the Proteas' A team and a limited-overs tri-series also including India A was scheduled to have begun this weekend.

The current impasse centres on CA's proposal that the existing MOU be modified to offer players a capped share of surplus revenue generated by the game, while the players remain committed to the existing model whereby they receive a share of all gross cricket-related revenue.

The ACA has offered an alternative proposal that retains the current revenue-share model but reduces the portion payable to players from around 25 per cent to 22.5 per cent, while broadening the definition of 'revenue' to increase the total player payment pool.

That has been rejected by CA, who point out that their proposal – which was revised last month to include all players in the share of surplus model, but immediately dismissed by the players' union – grants all players significant pay increases while allowing CA greater financial flexibility to invest in grassroots infrastructure and programs.

In addition to including all men's and women's players in a surplus sharing model, CA's revised offer included pay increases over five years in excess of the 18 per cent rise (men) and 150 per cent (women) outlined in the original offer document tabled last March.

It is expected that talks between the two parties will resume tomorrow.