Ponting

Sydney, Apr 19 (UNI) Indian cricketers are not the only ones feeling hard done by BCCI's reported move to limit the number of endorsements, even Australian cricketers are headed for an ugly showdown with their employers over their right to pursue lucrative personal sponsorships.

The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) that represents the player's interests is ready to take on Cricket Australia over the players' right to seek sponsorship deals from the financial sector.

The last time the players and the Board were involved in an off-field brawl two years ago, it had to be settled through a Memorandum of Understanding.

The players are reportedly miffed with CA's multi-million dollar, three-year deal with the Commonwealth Bank (CB) -- which sponsors the annual tri-series, the one-day team and the Centre of Excellence -- and has been so heavily protected that it does not allow players to have dealings with other companies in any way associated with the broader financial market.

Although the Australian Board always had a protection clause for its main sponsors, but Ricky Ponting and Co say the latest CB deal is too stringent.

ACA chief executive Paul Marsh said he would initiate action once the World Cup.

''It's not court action and it certainly won't be a strike. There are options we have through our Memorandum of Understanding that we are pursuing at the moment,'' Marsh told 'Herald Sun'.

At least four top Australian cricketers have reportedly missed out on tens of thousands of dollars besides there are concern that players' existing deals may be under threat.

The flipside to the argument is that the contract helps to pay the wages of first-class and international players.

The base contracts of Australia's top 25 cricketers range from about 200,000 to 750,000 dollars before match and tour fees and prize-money.

Player managers have been briefed and are reportedly ready to back the ACA's claim.

Spokesman Peter Young said yesterday CA was keen to settle the issue.

''It's a good contract for cricket and a good contract for players,'' he said.

''We understand the ACA has concerns and we want to resolve those and move on.'' CB has been a long-time sponsor of the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, but last summer replaced Foster's and its VB brand as tri-series naming rights sponsor.

CA's latest monetary wrangle follows tense negotiations with the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI's) over next summer's tour and a failed bid to play a mid-year one-day series in Ireland.

That three-match tournament fell through last week when India announced without informing CA that it would instead play South Africa.

However, India has agreed to play four Tests in Australia next summer.

UNI