Australia captain Smith plays down talk of Ashes strike

MELBOURNE, May 25 (REUTERS) Australia captain Steve Smith has played down a tense stand-off in pay negotiations between the players' union and the national cricket board, saying his team is highly motivated to cut a deal and play the Ashes against England.
The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has rejected an offer by Cricket Australia (CA) which waters down a revenue-share arrangement that the players have enjoyed for 20 years.