Cricket Australia officials are aware that some Australian players have been spoken to by individuals representing would-be rebel league backers Essel Group but "hope to strike a blow to the Indian company's plans by finalising new deals with their centrally contracted players in England" over the next week, according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. CA Exec GM of Team Performance Pat Howard is "due to arrive in London on Friday and one of his first assignments will be holding contract meetings" with the Ashes squad members, who are among the 19 players on Australia's contract list for '15-16. Those talks have a different context this week because of the "proposed rival organisation" fronted by India's Zee Entertainment and Ten Sports Network Owner Subhash Chandra's Essel. Among those offered two-year deals by CA was David Warner, who in the past week has "given an insight into his view of Essel's ambitions, admitting it would be tempting if the company was forthcoming with plans hatched earlier this year to poach him and others" with A$50M contracts. Warner: "You can't rule it out, you can't say no, because ... we love playing the sport we do but we also love getting paid for what we do, so if we can be honest and up front [that it is better]." Despite offering multi-year contracts in a move "described as 'risk management' by Howard last month, CA officials are relaxed about the Essel threat," as it has to date "amounted to nothing firm" beyond their confirmation in May of intentions to set up a rival T20 league (SMH, 6/23).
