MELBOURNE: Outgoing Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O'Connor has admitted that downgrading the racism charges against Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh during the 'monkey-gate' saga had damaged the administrators' relationhip with the players.
"The last Australian summer was the most difficult time in my long career in cricket and the male players ended the year feeling at a distance from the managers of the Australian game," O'Connor was quoted as saying by the a news agency.
"I am pleased we have since come together to review how we each managed the summer's difficult issues and have agreed where we might mutually have done better and how we might mutually do better in future," he added.
CA had convinced the players to downgrade the charges against Harbhajan after India threatened to pull out of the acrimonious tour after controversial Test in Sydney.
All-rounder Andrew Symonds, who had made the allegations of racist abuse, is reportedly still upset at not being backed enough by CA during the furore.
O'Connor, who will be succeeded by Jack Clark as the new CA chief, said the administrators need to guard against a rift with the players in the changing landscape of international cricket.
"Our players make a significant contribution to the health of the game and it is important that we, as administrators, keep them close as we make the difficult decisions needed to manage cricket in its fast changing and often complex times," O'Connor said.
"I am not convinced we have got the balance right, and that balance varies across Australia," he added.
