Cricket pay war ends: now Steve Smith’s side must restore fans lost faith in the game in Ashes fight

AUSTRALIAN cricket has leapt out of the frying pan and into the fire, the pressure now on Steve Smith’s team to restore lost faith in the game in Bangladesh.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland and Australian Cricketers' Association CEO Alistair Nicholson faced the press to announce an end to the ugly pay war.

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AUSTRALIAN cricket jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, with enormous pressure now riding on Steve Smith’s team in Bangladesh to restore lost faith in the national pastime.

Cricket has had its finger glued to the self-destruct button for the past three months and there was frank acknowledgment on Thursday from James Sutherland that the game is on the nose.

The landmark new pay deal underpinned by the revenue share model is a testament to the power of player unity, but as cricket’s shop front window, it’s now up to the Test team to immediately deliver on the field as well.

1/2 Great outcome to retain the revenue share for all players now and in the future while supporting the games grassroots.

— David Warner (@davidwarner31) August 3, 2017

2/2 looking forward to getting back out on the park and doing what we love, playing cricket. Thanks everyone for your support.

— David Warner (@davidwarner31) August 3, 2017

Sutherland and Australian Cricketers Association counterpart Alistair Nicholson must shoulder much blame for the shameless civil war that’s railroaded the sport for so long, but as culpable as the front office types might be — nobody ever cheers for the administrators.

The Australian cricket team will go on trial in Bangladesh — both as a side that’s struggled to win on the subcontinent for far too long and one that alone has the power to repair the ill-feeling and cynicism the public currently bears against the game.

Cricket threatened to take something as important to the Australian sporting fabric as an Ashes series away from the people, and there are now no excuses but to win that precious urn.

Of course that is an unfair burden to place on 11 individual players in baggy green, when the pay fight was primarily about the claims of domestic cricketers and the group as a whole — not to mention CA’s interests in aggressively trying to change a model which had been the status quo for 20 years.

But in these matters of image and trust, perception is reality, and winning or losing against Bangladesh and then England will determine how quickly the game can regain the support a paying public that nearly had their precious Ashes stolen away from them in the name of money.

“There’s no denying that the debate itself has at times been difficult and even acrimonious,” said Sutherland.

“Relationships within the game have been tested and I know that’s been a bit of a turn off for some fans.

“I think I can speak for Alistair when I say both parties very much acknowledge and regret that and now it’s very much up to us to put that behind us

CA CEO James Sutherland and ACA CEO Alistair Nicholson have called a truce.

“In announcing this agreement we’re restoring certainty and beginning to repair relationships, especially with the fans.”

Nicholson denied that the reputation of players has been damaged during this dispute.

“No I don’t think so. We spent a lot of time talking to our players around just what partnership and revenue share is and overlaying incomes and moneys coming into the game,” he said.

“Players haven’t asked for anything they haven’t had in the past so they’ve been comfortable to hold onto that partnership and model they’ve got.”

David Warner, the leader of the player fight, thanked the public for their support and said now the players can’t wait to play.

Steve Smith’s team will now need to get everyone talking about the actual cricket again.

“Looking forward to getting back out on the park and doing what we love,” he tweeted.

“Playing cricket. Thanks everyone for your support.”

Making peace with the fans will be no easy task for a sport that internally has been cannibalising itself since late last year.

You only had to watch the demeanour of Sutherland and Nicholson at Thursday’s press conference at the MCG to have it confirmed that there is absolutely no love lost between the two parties.

The ACA point the finger at Sutherland for not joining the negotiation until the 11th hour, while CA blames Nicholson for stalling the process with tedious decision-making.

Distrust between players and administrators is palpable and at its lowest point since Monkey gate when cricketers felt completely hung out to dry.

This has been the game’s ugliest war since World Series cricket, and even Sutherland conceded that history may decree that, in the end, the black eyes weren’t even worth it.

Both Sutherland and Nicholson said “I do” when asked if they wanted to remain in their leadership positions.

The post mortems are yet to be done, but if they do survive, the onus will be on those two men to honour their vows, leave egos at the door and prove that cricket can once again work as one.