Sutherland wants player-coaches checked

Cricket Australia will make follow-up checks on players employed as assistant coaches to ensure states are not abusing the salary cap. The proposed tranfer of Matthew Elliott, who has been offered an opening batting-coaching role at South Australia, has sparked the investigation after Michael O'Sullivan, the Victoria chairman of selectors, said the current system was open to "rorting".

O'Sullivan was concerned players could be poached and offered significant pay rises just to be called an assistant coach. James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said it was essential the positions were valid and the new Memorandum of Understanding would outline how much could be spent on players and coaches.

"It's important that those payments are bona fide and there may be some speculation about some of those payments," Sutherland told AAP. "We have looked at those in the past and will continue to look at that to ensure they're bona fide and appropriate and that the amount of money that is going to players is the right amount."

Sutherland said Tasmania, who employed Michael Bevan as a player-coach last summer, have been asked for feedback on the situation. Elliott's request was blocked by Victoria and the case will go to a grievance tribunal hearing next month.