Dec 2, 2007, 11:12 GMT
Sydney - Australia's top cricketers braced Sunday for a showdown with their employer over the second jobs they want to take in India.
Captain Ricky Ponting, speedster Brett Lee and nine other top players have signed with the Indian Premier League (IPL) to play in a 20-20 tournament in May and June next year.
They have done this despite being employees of Cricket Australia (CA), their employer and the body that governs the game in Australia.
Their motivation is the extra money they could earn in India.
CA chief executive James Sutherland has written to the players reminding them of their contractual responsibilities.
'I am disappointed that you have chosen not to discuss or advise CA of your decision,' Sutherland wrote.
Respected cricket commentator Peter Roebuck chided the players for being greedy.
'Australia's senior cricketers have forgotten their manners in the rush to grab a few bars of Indian gold,' Roebuck wrote in Sydney's Sun-Herald. 'Judging from the contents of James Sutherland's unequivocal letter, they have also ignored legal niceties, contractual obligations and their responsibilities as employees.'
Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist insists Australia's cricketers are not 'rebels' and playing for extra money in India would always come second to playing for their country.
Gilchrist said he had spoken to Sutherland after receiving the letter.
'No one will play without consent,' he said. 'We're not looking for a moment to bend the rules or our contracts with Cricket Australia. They are our employer, as simple as that.'
Gilchrist didn't say why he and his fellow players had signed a deal to play in India without informing CA.
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