The Serve

Gilchrist: We will obey Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia and Adam Gilchrist have watered down suggestions that a rift has developed between Australia’s top cricketers and the governing body over the impending Indian Twenty20 Premier League (IPL), scheduled to take place next April and May.

Several stars, including Ricky Ponting, Gilchrist and Brett Lee have signed a letter of intent to join the lucrative tournament, prompting Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland to fire off a stern letter, warning players they need to seek permission from Cricket Australia first.

“It’s an issue about process, not an issue about civil war,” Cricket Australia representative Peter Young told ABC Radio today.

“The letter is designed to remind the players to give their cricket playing priority to us.”

Young acknowledged that some player managers, such as Neil Maxwell (Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Shane Watson), had followed the correct path in seeking out Cricket Australia before committing to the IPL.

Australia has a test series against Pakistan pencilled in for March, albeit tentatively given the sensitive state of Pakistan’s political landscape and security issues. If the series was to go ahead, it would overlap with the IPL, however Gilchirst has indicated there won’t be a conflict of interests.

“They (Cricket Australia) are our employer. Simple as that. I guess they’re letting us know what the rules are,” Gilchrist said today.

This morning’s headlines suggesting cricket was treading a similar path to the 1970’s - when Kerry Packer bought up a significant pool of top-line players to form World Series Cricket - have been dismissed as nothing more than provocative journalism.

“That’s fairly dramatic language,” Young said. “What we’ve got here is a lack of discipline. A quick letter from James should sort that out.”

“Thirty years ago that was about a fundamental meaning of life principle.”