ReutersAs the Australian one-day side departed for their tour of the British Isles, there was still no resolution to the current memorandum of understanding, which lapses at the end of June. The Australian Cricketers Association and CA will meet again on Friday to try to thrash out a new pay deal that both parties are comfortable with.
Should the talks fail and there is no agreement before June 30, there is a real chance the players' union will consider all their options, including a strike, although Clarke is confident that won't be the case.
"I guess from a player's side of things we're really keen to get this going. The last (thing) we want to do is go on strike," he said.
"I don't want to miss too much cricket for Australia and I think it's best for everybody the sooner it gets done the better."
CA are trying to introduce a performance-based system, although Clarke believes the current system - where most players are on one-year deals - is a similar model.
"One thing I do know about the players is we're asking for nothing more than we've had," Clarke said.
"We believe the most important thing is giving back to this game, not just for the players that are playing today but for the future of the game.
"We want what's fair and for the game to continue to be the number one game in this country and hopefully also the world.
"As captain of the Australian team we will do whatever it takes for this game to grow."
