MELBOURNE, Jan 20: In an apparent warning to star Aussie players that they compete in the Indian Premier League at their own risk, Cricket Australia had punished former opener Matthew Hayden by docking his pay for exacerbating his Achilles heal injury during the IPL.

Hayden, who retired recently after being dropped from Australia’s ODI and Twenty20 squads, had his lucrative CA retainer slashed after being sent home from Australia’s tour of the West Indies last May with an Achilles tendon injury, a newspaper report claimed.

CA officials believed Hayden had suffered or exacerbated the injury while playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL last April though the former opener had pleaded that he suffered his chronic tendon injury throughout his distinguished 16-year international career.

The Australian board had applied a clause in its Overseas Club Playing Agreement to deny Hayden a portion of his retainer and any compensation or insurance for missing the Caribbean tour. “CA appears to be taking a stance that it cannot be held liable for any injuries suffered in the IPL -- even though it gives its top players the green light to go, the report in ‘Daily Telegraph’ said.

”The case sends a warning to other Australian stars that they could be left on a limbo by their employers if they are injured in the IPL, with the second version of the tournament scheduled for April,” it added.

Australian Cricketers Association stepped in to compensate the Test legend out of its own player insurance pool. Australian Cricketers Association boss Paul Marsh, however, said CA’s handling of Hayden’s case was “inconsistent”. “Our issue was that we believed it was inconsistent with how similar issues of this nature had been handled previously,” Marsh said. “Our proposal to CA was that Matthew not be penalised by Cricket Australia in this instance.”

Marsh said he has now put all players on high alert, advising them of the potential of a financial penalty by CA if they are injured during the IPL. “We have used this opportunity to educate players that CA may financially penalise them if there are issues of this nature going forward. It is far from the biggest issue that we are dealing with, but we would like to ensure that the correct principles are met.”—Agencies