Warner slams CA for blaming players in bitter pay dispute

Australia’s outspoken vice-captain David Warner has come out onto the front foot and accused Cricket Australia (CA) of wrongly blaming the players for not resolving the bitter pay dispute that now threatens the Test tour of Bangladesh.

Warner wrote on Instagram: "This Baggy Green (cap) means the world to me. Myself and all the other players, female and male, want to get out there and play.

“We offered Aus$30 million ($24 million) of our money to grassroots as a peace plan. It was ignored. We asked for mediation twice before and it was rejected.

“Now CA says there is a crisis. The players are unemployed and some are hurting financially but continue to train. Administrators all still being paid. How is it our fault no deal is done?"

Sutherland had announced that CA would seek intervention from an industrial umpire if an agreement was not reached by next week.

The Australian Cricketers’ Association hit back, saying hit back, saying CA was to blame for the crisis dragging on and that it had "lost the players" through its hardball tactics.