John Buchanan's scathing attack on Australia's star cricketers may have caused a stir in the cricketing circles but captain Steve Waugh believes the coach was within his right to blast the players.
Waugh said it was Buchanan's right to criticise the players and the matter would be discussed when the team gathers in Melbourne ahead of the third Test slated for December 26.
"It is part of John's role to throw things up to the side and see whether there is any feedback regarding those items," Waugh said.
Buchanan has yet to make any elaborate public comment on the matter but has said it was meant to be a private letter and should have stayed that way.
Regarding the issue raised by Buchanan in his letter relating to how much time players spend on their sponsorship, Waugh said it was up to Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association to solve the problem ahead of inking a new Memorandum of Understanding which is to take effect from 2005.
"You certainly learn from the first MOU that we have done. It certainly needs to be talked about by the players, cricket association and the board," the Test skipper said.
"We probably need to work a bit closer together for everyone to get something out of it. I think there is some fine-tuning that can be done, definitely."
Australia's Test cricketers have protested about the number of functions they have to attend for the game's major sponsors.
Waugh said heavy sponsorship commitments were a part of the modern game.
"A lot is expected of the players. You just have to deal with what is in front of you the best the way you can," he said.
The ACA has received numerous complaints from players and their managers claiming they are being asked to do too much for CA.
Concerns were raised even before Buchanan savaged his players in Adelaide over the amount of time they spent discussing private sponsorships deals before a match.
Leading player manager Neil Maxwell, who looks after the commercial interests of Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, said the sponsorship demands CA put on its players would be a major point of discussion at a cricket managers' meeting in January next year.
Maxwell said it was "unfair" that the more high-profile players were continually asked to attend CA sponsorship functions and appear in advertisements while other squad members did nothing.
Players are required under their contracts to attend about 30 functions a year for their states and the country.
The issue came to light before the Brisbane Test against India when the players were involved in a large number of sponsorship activities.
