Australia in strike threat..(Cricket)

Australia's players may go on strike ahead of this summer's one-day tour of England over performance-related pay issues, it has been reported.


Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief Paul Marsh said there
were contingency plans should a resolution not be agreed with Cricket
Australia before July 1.

The Australian said players have examined a boycott of next
month's one-day tour of England or the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka
in September-October.

"Relationships between players and management are heated and
threatening to become as ugly as the stand-off surrounding the first
player contract negotiations during Mark Taylor's captaincy
(1994-1999)," the newspaper said.

"Cricket Australia is playing hardball in negotiations and has frozen
all state and Big Bash (domestic T20) contract talks under the threat
of a Aus$50,000 ($48,400) fine until the new agreement is in place."

The newspaper said players and state administrators have both raised the possibility of a boycott of July's tour to England.

Marsh told a newspaper his members were preparing for a potential
industrial stand-off if there was no contract in place before the
current one ends.




Frustration

"There's only 29 days
of negotiations left to run, so of course we are preparing for the
eventuality of not having a deal in place before the end of July," Marsh
told The Australian.

"We are looking at all of our different options."

The players and Cricket Australia were progressing towards an
agreement on a controversial shift to performance-based pay when CA
tabled a demand to change the definition of cricket revenue, it said.

"The association considers that a Aus$30 million cash grab and there
is frustration that the bid was tabled late in negotiations," The
Australian said.

"The players argue they are not asking for more money, but want to
ensure they do not receive less at a time when the game is in reasonable
financial health."

The main sticking point in the negotiations has been the move to
adjust the players' revenue share according to performance, it said.

"At the moment the players receive 26 percent of all cricket income
but that would move to a sliding scale under a new deal," the newspaper
said.

"The pot from which the percentage is taken would shrink under the proposals."

Australia are scheduled to play England in five ODIs from June 29-July 10.