Cricket Australia's ongoing pay dispute with their players has claimed it's first casualty with Australia A's tour of South Africa officially cancelled.
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The likes of Usman Khawaja and Glenn Maxwell were expected to take part in the tour that would have given fringe Australian cricketers a golden chance to impress ahead of the Ashes later this year.
But that oppurtunity has been sacrificed with the side making a unanimous decision to stand by their fellow 200 out-of-contract kin and not participate in the tour.
"By making this call, the Australia A players have sacrificed their own ambitions for the collective; an incredibly selfless act that shows their strength and overall commitment to the group," an ACA statement reads.
“All players are deeply disappointed at the behaviour of CA which forces this course of action, given the players would rather be playing for their country.
“CA refuse to attend mediation or offer any genuine flexibility in the MOU negotiations.
“And without mediation it’s hard to see how there can be the progress necessary to reach agreement.”
The decision and current state of negotiations now casts considerable doubt over Australia's tour of Bangladesh in August.
