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Cricket war finally headed for a resolution?

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has stood firm in an ongoing pay dispute with Australia's cricketers. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
31st July, 2017
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Australian cricket’s protracted pay crisis is nearing a conclusion. The warring parties are expected to declare peace, possibly as early as Tuesday.

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) have been locked in intensive and productive negotiations during recent days. Meetings ran late into the night on Sunday and Monday.

The governing body and players’ union are remaining mute but there is widespread hope an in-principle resolution will be signed soon.

The previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expired a month ago, leaving 230 players unemployed and plunging the sport into absolute uncertainty.

A new MoU is unlikely to be finalised this week but a signed Heads of Agreement would mean peace is restored and Australia tour Bangladesh this month.

The next major deadline in the saga is August 18, when Steve Smith’s side are set to depart for a two-Test series in Bangladesh.

Smith and his teammates reaffirmed last week they will not tour without some form of agreement in place.

CA chief James Sutherland indicated last week he wants to send the dispute to arbitration if there is no deal in place early this week.

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The ACA is yet to formally indicate whether it would agree to arbitration, having made repeated calls for independent mediation this year.

The spat over revenue sharing has strained the relationship between administrators and players, with Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson both opining recently it will take some time for trust to be restored.

Players took the unprecedented step of boycotting Australia A’s tour of South Africa because of the stand-off that has infuriated coaches, selectors, fans and sponsors.

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