Top Australian cricket players unemployed

Australia's top cricketers are effectively unemployed after a deadline for them to agree new pay and conditions passed without resolution.

Australian vice-captain David Warner has taken to social media to thank fans as the pay war with Cricket Australia reaches breaking point.

Warner tweeted: “Thanks to our fans for all your support. You can now see first hand what we have to deal with”.

He has also taken a huge swipe at Cricket Australia in an Instagram post.

“Family is everything to me. I thought the same about my old workpace but I guess I was wrong,” the post read.

The Australian cricket board confirmed there would be no eleventh hour breakthrough in a bitter pay dispute with the players' union, leaving more than 200 leading cricketers uncontracted and the fate of future tournaments in limbo.

Cricket Australia said the union had refused to negotiate, leaving no chance for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to be struck before the midnight deadline on Friday.

About 230 players would be uncontracted but around 70 would still be tethered to state contracts, local media have reported, and would be expected to train and play.

Some took to the bad news with tongue-in-cheek.

Aaron Finch retweeted domestic English club Surrey’s Twenty20 roster, of which he features.

“I’m just happy to be employed!!” the Twenty20 skipper said.

While Usman Khawaja was seen chekcing his options.