Biff backs Aussie players in pay dispute

Cape Town - Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith has jumped to the defence of Australia's cricketers as they continue their pay dispute with Australian cricket authorities. 

As it stands, over 200 Australian cricketers are technically unemployed after the last Memorandum of Understanding between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association expired over the weekend. 

Emergency meetings have not found a solution as yet, with Cricket Australia reportedly keen to ditch the policy of a revenue sharing model with its domestic players, particularly those who do not feature in the Big Bash. 

But Smith, who has not been the most popular person in Australia over the years, has had his say as an independent board member of the Federation for International Cricketers Association (FICA). 

"I was part of a revenue-share partnership model for many years as a player and this was a critical factor in fostering the relationship between board and players," Smith said in a statement issued by FICA.

"In the current cricket environment where players have other options I don’t understand why a board would want to change a partnership that has proved to be successful."

If the issue is not resolved soon, Australia's upcoming tour to Bangladesh as well as this summer's Ashes could come under threat.