Cricket-Cricket Australia boss threatens players with unemployment

Cricket Australia (CA) boss James Sutherland has warned Australia's players will not be given alternative contracts if they fail to agree to terms by June 30 in an escalation of a protracted pay dispute, local media reported.

Australia's professional cricketers rejected a pay offer from the sport's governing body last month, saying the proposal was "a win for cricket administrators but a loss for cricket".

CA released their proposal in March, offering large salary increases, particularly for women, but breaking with the 20-year model of a fixed percentage of revenue from the game going to the cricketers.

Sutherland forwarded a letter to all male and female professional players on Friday, saying players needed to broker a deal or risk going unpaid.

"In the absence of the ACA negotiating a new MoU, players with contracts expiring in 2016-17 will not have contracts for 2017-18," local media quoted Sutherland as saying in the letter.

Cricket Australia could not be reached for immediate comment.

The Australian Cricketers' Association confirmed players had received the letter.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)