Published: Jul 03, 2017, 06:16 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 03, 2017, 06:24 PM (IST)
With the pay dispute between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) not likely to be resolved anytime soon, the Australian players, who technically went unemployed from July 1, have been taking jibes at the CA over past few days. Mitchell Starc, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell had posted a few images on social media a couple of days back, passing sarcastic remarks against the Australian board. On the same lines, opener Aaron Finch also took a subtle dig at CA through his tweets. Not surprisingly, his fellow partner at the top Warner also joined in and took pot-shots at the board.
It all started with English County side Surrey announcing Finch as their signing for upcoming Natwest T20 Blast 2017. Surrey’s official Twitter handle unveiled Finch as one of their star players for the season along with the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Kevin Pietersen and Jason Roy among others. The tweet read:
Our 2017 T20 squad includes:
@JasonRoy20
@KP24
@_TC59
@KumarSanga2
@AaronFinch5
@Mozzie21https://t.co/jNy5SwLv2U . pic.twitter.com/EBDDn5LChb
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) June 30, 2017
In reply, Finch quoted the tweet with an accompanying caption that read: “I’m just happy to be employed!!”
I’m just happy to be employed!! https://t.co/lprFUbDN7R
— Aaron Finch (@AaronFinch5) June 30, 2017
Finch then tweeted yet again on July 2, with a picture of his passport and ticket to London with a caption reading: “Off to London…See you soon @surreycricket”
Off to London…See you soon @surreycricket pic.twitter.com/JlnXM4fySa
— Aaron Finch (@AaronFinch5) July 2, 2017
Warner then joined the conversation and posted a sarcastic reply, which was aimed at the Australian board. He wrote: “Enjoy it brother. Put a good word in for me please. @AaronFinch5”
Enjoy it brother. Put a good word in for me please. @AaronFinch5 https://t.co/6gEqPbgqqX
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) July 2, 2017
It is notable here that post the expiry of the June 30 deadline for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the CA and ACA, 230 Australian players, including Finch, Warner and skipper Steven Smith, are now technically without a job since they have not signed the new contract offered to them by the board. The fallout between the two parties has come over a new pay structure. The series of tweets from the players over past few days captures the current mood in Australian cricket circles.
Finch might have found an employment for now, but in the interest of Australian players in particular, and cricket in general, it is of paramount importance that the two parties break the deadlock and reach to an agreement. Till that happens, the future of Australian players as well as all future tours remains in a limbo.
