Aussies wait to receive cash from cash-rich IPL

Sydney, May 18 (UNI) The lucrative Indian Premier League did manage to attract some of the big names of cricket, but now the future of the tournament could well be under threat with Australian players still waiting to be paid by the organisers.

Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh confirmed that a number of the Aussie players were yet to receive their wages.

Though, Marsh said his organisation was not panicking about the delay, he claimed if there was no breakthrough soon, the player's body will take firm action against the IPL.

One of the players, who participated in the IPL, confided to The Sun-Herald that he was informed three times by thye organisers that his wages were on the way.

''First I was told it would be in two weeks.

''That passed by and I was told it would be in the following week. Then I was told it would be in in the next few days. I just said, 'I'll believe it when I see it','' the player said.

Another Australian recruit in the IPL said he was trying to get an instalment through because he needed it to meet mortgage repayments while a third player confirmed that he had finally been paid on Wednesday.

''It's something we're aware of. There's still a few that haven't been paid,'' Marsh said.

''It's certainly something we've got our eye on but it's not something that we're panicking about. We just want to get a result as soon as we can. I don't want to blow this up into something that it's not, but I also do want to sort it out as quickly as possible,'' he added.

However, Marsh was confident that the problem would be resolved soon and if it still continues the ACA's only recourse will be through the BCCI.

''The bad PR that would eventuate if the players weren't paid would be so bad that none of the players would go back and the whole thing would fall over,'' he said.

''You're talking about some billion-dollar corporations so you just can't see how they wouldn't pay their players. They know they have to pay their players and that's why we're not panicking.

''It's something we'll go a bit harder on in the not too distant future if it doesn't get sorted out,'' Marsh added.

UNI XC RAR HT1148