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Cricket Australia has revamped its pay offer to players, offering a greater share of international surpluses.
The change in tack comes seven days before the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expires on June 30.
CA has indicated it intends to include domestic players in its sharing arrangement and will increase annual pay rises to state players. It is unclear how much it will rise above the intended $20 million cap on the share of international cricket surpluses.
The sporting organisation remains adamant the existing revenue-sharing model is untenable.
That stance has caused immense friction with players, who called for emergency mediation at CEO level on Friday.
It remains unclear how well received CA’s latest missive will be, given the governing body have started to offer individual contracts to players.
CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) are expected to meet on Monday.
If the two parties are unable to broker a new deal next week, or agree on temporary measures, then the sport will be plunged into immense uncertainty.
It will mean hundreds of players are unemployed and leave a question mark over all future series, starting with next month’s Australia A tour of South Africa.
Vice-captain David Warner has indicated the Ashes could be at stake.
CA’s chief negotiator Kevin Roberts contacted Alistair Nicholson, head of the players’ union, on Friday. Roberts insisted in his email that CA had listened to feedback from players and was being flexible.
ACA president Greg Dyer issued a public statement on Friday, saying it was time for mediation at chief-executive level.
CA continues to declare its boss James Sutherland, who will return to Australia next week after attending International Cricket Council meetings, will not be involved in talks.
It is one of many points of contention in the heated clash between the players’ union and CA.
“The ACA continues to search for ways to resolve the dispute. We are motivated by a sense of duty to the game and its players and frustration at the current process,” Dyer wrote.
“In recent weeks, the ACA has effectively been ‘negotiating with ourselves’ to try to break through. This is clearly unsatisfactory.
“We are hopeful that the common sense offers of flexibility made in negotiations will be treated more respectfully in an elevated and mediated environment.”
Dyer noted a number of “common sense and reasonable requests” had been rejected by CA, including the release of financial information and forecasts.
CA claims it delivered financial records earlier this week.
“CA has only been willing to provide financial ‘scenarios’ and ‘formulas’, which lack the detail and scope required,” Dyer wrote.
“CA continues to state that player payments in the upcoming MoU be funded by the revenue already earned by the players from the last MoU.
“The players … continue to be taken for granted and communicated with directly via video or in person, contrary to their express wishes.”
“The ACA simultaneously signs and honours confidentiality agreements only to read leaked confidential correspondence between the parties in the media.”
Cricket.com.au, the news arm of CA, has published the full text of Roberts’ letter to Nicholson.
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