Aussie cricket war all but over after long feud

The industrial war that has paralysed Australian cricket is all but over with the game’s warring parties set to strike a new pay deal that would lift the game out of crisis.

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) are in the final steps of drawing up an in-principle agreement having reached a compromise on key points of difference.

With all the major issues solved, only minor clauses and financial detail need to be finalised.

It would take a monumental backflip for the deal to be called off.

Any agreement would have to be signed off by the CA board, the ACA executive and the players, which means it’s unlikely any announcement will come before today.

After marathon talks across the weekend, intensive negotiations continued into Monday night as both sides closed in on an agreement that had seemed improbable throughout the bitter dispute. So poor have relations been between the two sides nothing can be taken for granted until both parties sign the dotted line.

CA and the ACA have in the past two weeks both believed they were nearing a resolution only to be blindsided by the other party.

ACA chief Alistair Nicholson sent a draft heads of agreement and tour contracts to CA last week only to be accused of stalling tactics. It came a week after CA rejected a terms sheet sent by the ACA, plunging the game back into crisis.

However, there has been greater urgency in talks since CA announced last Thursday it would take the case to arbitration if a new deal was not agreed by early this week.

Cricket’s feuding parties were locked in talks into the early hours of Monday morning, after which the ACA held an internal briefing that did not wind up until 2.30am.

Despite the progress, relations remain tense as seen by both sides’ insistence they are responsible for the recent breakthroughs. There is also a feeling the high stakes has expedited progress.

CA says the call for arbitration had brought the matter to a head and believe that its proposal for players to be re-contracted was important. That both parties had not met for four days before the ultimatum was further proof of its effectiveness, CA say.

But the players believe the governing body increased its urgency after being told an arbitrator would not help their case.

The ACA could have asked for an international sports expert who may have ruled CA needed to share as much as 40 to 50 per cent of its revenue, instead of 22 per cent asked by players, in keeping with major US sports.

Players have stuck firmly to retaining revenue-sharing in a hybrid pay model though it may be termed differently so both sides can be seen to save face.

A resolution this week would mean the upcoming tour of Bangladesh would go ahead.