"Me, and not any of the players I know, want to strike," the world number four told his pre-tournament news conference at the Shanghai Masters.

Murray, who is defending his title in Shanghai, said his suggestion last month that players would consider striking had been blown out of proportion.

"When I said it was a possibility, I didn't expect that to be such a massive (media issue)," the Scot said. "It's so far away from being at that level. The players haven't even sat down and talked."

In his remarks to the BBC last month, Murray had said the players, unhappy at being required to play so many tournaments, might discuss strike action when they met up in Shanghai.

However, on Tuesday, the Scot adopted a more measured tone.

"I don't really want to go into much detail. I have nothing really to say... The last time I did, it was turned into a massive hoopla," he said.

"The players, I think, are maybe coming across as being spoilt when I don't think that is the case."

He said the Players' Council would try to organise a meeting "before the end of the year".

"Whether it happens or not... It's quite a tough thing to do because there's a lot of players to coordinate."

Earlier, world number two Rafael Nadal was equally vague when asked if players would discuss the calendar this week.

"I don't think it is the right time to talk about this. Any information you need to know, you will know. There is something there, but I don't want to talk about it, especially when nothing is clear. (So) not talking is better than talking," he said.

ABSENT PLAYERS

The Spaniard dismissed suggestions that talks could not go ahead without the presence of the Players Council's president, world number three Roger Federer, who pulled out of the Shanghai tournament citing fatigue.

"I am the vice president and I am here. That is not the problem in my opinion. I said maybe some things are happening, but I am not a hundred percent sure about what's going on.

"I don't want to say anything because if I say something right now, it might not happen later."

Nadal said he was in touch with "a lot of players" and that they had discussed changing the calendar.

"The important thing is that, yes, I can say most of us, almost everyone, is in the same way of thinking. So we have power. Now we'll have to find what we really want for the future and make that happen if possible."

Top players are required to compete in all four grand slams, eight Masters 1000 events, the season-ending World Tour Finals and a handful of lower-tier tournaments. Many also opt to play in the Davis Cup team competition.

Last year, the Shanghai event featured the world's top 16 players but this year four of the top 10 are absent through injury, fatigue or illness, including Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic.

"I think if there were a few extra weeks off, a few less tournaments, then that would help," said Murray, who is seeded second behind Nadal this week.

Murray, who will begin his Shanghai defence against Russian Dmitry Tursunov, was also unhappy that balls were not standardised at tournaments.

"The balls that we have played with over the last three weeks - every one of them is just completely different. I think that's something that I would like to see changed, to have more consistency in the balls.

"It's almost like playing a different game," said Murray, who beat Nadal to win the Japan Open on Sunday, a week after winning in Bangkok.

"If you asked a golfer to change balls every single week, they'd be hitting balls 20 yards too far and hitting shots all over the place."

A spokesman for the men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said the body was unsure if a players' meeting would happen this week.

"We have had talks at the U.S. Open and have such player discussions on a regular basis. We believe the players should have a big voice in the scheduling," he added.