BRISBANE, November 9, 2007 – The world’s leading news agencies continued their action against Cricket Australia today by boycotting the second day’s play in the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Gabba in Brisbane.

The boycott by Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Associated Press Reuters is part of a protest against unprecedented demands by Cricket Australia that the agencies hand over rights to all photos taken at matches and that the agencies pay a fee to Cricket Australia.

AFP has issued a statement to clients advising of the suspension of photo, text and graphics coverage of all matches press conferences and any other events held by Cricket Australia:

“AFP will not be covering the first cricket Test between Australia and Sri Lanka starting in Brisbane 08 November 2007 as no progress has been made in negotiations over conditions for accreditation for the season. As a result, we have suspended photo, text and graphics coverage of all matches, press conferences or any other events held by Cricket Australia until an acceptable agreement can be reached. AFP regrets this course of action but press freedom and protecting the news interests and coverage rights of our clients around the world is of crucial importance to AFP. AFP will continue discussions with Cricket Australia in the hope of reaching a resolution as a part of the News Media Coalition. AFP would like to be able to provide news coverage of Cricket Australia events, but press freedom and editorial integrity are core to our business. We will keep clients advised of developments”.

Australia’s largest media company News Ltd was locked out of the Test by Cricket Australia yesterday but has since come to an agreement and has resumed test coverage.

The Associated Press reported today that the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which represents more than 10,000 journalists across Australia, said CA's decision to demand a fee from the international news agencies would damage the game.

Chris Warren, the Alliance's federal secretary, criticised the organisation's attitude as "greedy".

"News coverage should not be up for sale; that is the basic issue at stake here," Warren said today.

Meanwhile International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Malcolm Speed says he hopes the dispute can be resolved amicably.

"I would hope that the issue can be resolved amicably and that those agencies that have not been accredited can then be accredited," Speed told a news conference yesterday.

"I think it is a very complicated issue," Speed said. "I think the stance that Cricket Australia has taken is being firm."

"It is one of those issues time will tell," Speed said. "Other sports have been through this. Cricket has dealt with this before."

The Cricket Australia row comes hot on the heels of a dispute which threatened to disrupt media coverage of the recent Rugby World Cup in France.

AIPS, together with a coalition of 40 of the world’s leading news and photographic agencies, media and publishing companies threatened to ban coverage of the Rugby World Cup because of restrictions imposed on media limiting the use of photos and video footage on the Internet.

Pre-match coverage was boycotted which forced the IRB into backing down only hours before the first match kicked-off.