A deal has finally been struck in Australia’s cricket pay dispute, allowing professional cricketers to be re-contracted meaning the upcoming cricket season should run as scheduled.
But is the saga really over?
A media conference was held by Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) to announce the end of the pay dispute earlier today (3 August). The game of cricket in Australia will retain the revenue sharing model that was first created in 1998.
Ten months of bitter negotiations, has taken its toll on both parties and could be seen in the body language of CA boss James Sutherland and ACA boss Alistair Nicholson during the media conference.
The look on each of their faces told the whole story.
Sutherland had a stern look of disappointment. Nicholson was a drained man who didn’t show a glimpse of enthusiasm even though winning in most areas of the pay dispute.
Both Sutherland and Nicholson during the media conference, however, continued to have been seen having sly digs at each other even though an agreement had been met.
Sutherland’s biggest comment of the day in this situation was “history will judge whether it was all worth it in the end.” A comment of annoyance after having to back down to the players of the game.
Nicholson soon fired back saying the relationship between players and the administration of the game will take time to heal.
With the governing body, just last week looking at calling in an independent arbitrator to settle the dispute shows just how heated and intense these negotiations have been. For the game of cricket in Australia, this latest dispute has been one of the biggest since Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.
How is the players’ relationship with the governing body going to be healthy after so much mayhem and drama?
ABC Grandstand commentator, Jim Maxwell just last month believed the pay dispute saga was always bound to happen due to the relationship between players and administration.
Maxwell spoke about how players were not being consulted enough in the game in all areas. Now the players come out happier than CA, the administration is not going to like the fact the players have overruled the powers of the game.
This pay dispute saga even though resolved will play a massive role in the upcoming tours and the Australian summer of cricket.
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