Australia A tour of South Africa called off due to player boycott over pay dispute

Australia A's tour of South Africa is officially called off after the players decided to boycott the series over an ongoing pay dispute.

The squad, which was headlined by Test hopefuls Usman Khawaja and Glenn Maxwell, was supposed to travel to South Africa on 7 July, however, with a lack of resolution in the ongoing remuneration controversy, the team decided to boycott the series.

Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland had previously written an email to the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) in May that the sporting body would abandon a 20-year system which saw a revenue-sharing player payment model.

It was to be replaced with a new system that will see players paid a set amount not tied to revenue as of the new financial year.

Sutherland also stated that CA would not pay cricketers whose contracts were expiring beyond 30 June if they did not abide by the new payment model.

This led to the Australian players showing solidarity and refusing to go by the new proposal, leading some to question if they would even have a team for the Ashes which would take place later this year.

A resolution between CA and the ACA failed to be brokered before the 30 June deadline and as of now, 230 players from Down Under are now unemployed with Australia last playing in their Champions Trophy defeat to England in early June.

"This decision [to boycott] is made in support of more than 200 male and female players who are now unemployed, and is consistent with Sunday's ACA Executive meeting resolutions," the ACA wrote in an official statement.

"By making this call, the Australia A players have sacrificed their own ambitions for the collective; an incredibly selfless act that shows their strength and overall commitment to the group. All players are deeply disappointed at the behaviour of CA which forces this course of action, given the players would rather be playing for their country.

"CA refuse to attend mediation or offer any genuine flexibility in the MOU negotiations. And without mediation it's hard to see how there can be the progress necessary to reach agreement. The players want to make sure all men and women who play the game are treated fairly, and that grassroots funding is not drained by a top-heavy bureaucracy. The ACA again calls on common sense to prevail and for the CA CEO to attend mediation."

Australia's next series is against Bangladesh in August, but it is likely to be called off as well unless a resolution is met.