Former cricketer Mitchell Johnson said that the "long-term damage has already been done in cricket's bitter pay dispute" as the warring parties made "steady" movement toward "averting a summer crisis," according to Russell Gould of the HERALD SUN. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland was front and center in meetings with the Australian Cricketers' Association on Wednesday and "will be present again on Thursday when the warring parties resume their pursuit of a resolution." The "once frosty relationship continues to thaw, albeit slowly," and the negotiating teams continue to "plough through" the 700-page memorandum of understanding with a view to a new one being signed "sooner rather than later." But no deadlines have been imposed and that includes the conclusion of the Women's World Cup. Australia needs to beat India in a semifinal on Thursday to make the final where prize money of A$840,000 ($668,000) "awaits the winner." The 15 players in the squad can share the prize money among themselves or "offer some to support staff, including coach Matthew Mott, who remains contracted to CA" (HERALD SUN, 7/19). In Melbourne, Jon Pierik reported Australia's Test squad is "due to head into camp" in Darwin from Aug. 10, ahead of the tour of Bangladesh. While the "main game" between CA and the ACA is to broker a new MOU, "the more likely option -- should any resolution be found -- is to sign off on an in-principle agreement." That would "allow the tour to go ahead," with the first Test in Dhaka from Aug. 27. If that tour is canceled, it is "unlikely players would agree to take part in a one-day series in India in October" (THE AGE, 7/19). In Sydney, James Buckley reported unemployment for Australia's women's cricket team is "potentially just one match away" ahead of Thursday's sudden-death semifinal against India at Derby. The players representing Australia at the World Cup in England will no longer be employed by CA when their tournament ends. Second-placed Australia, which won six of seven pool games en route to the semifinal, has "constantly maintained the pay war has not distracted" its World Cup bid. Both CA and the ACA "have left the touring players alone," and the squad "agreed at the start of the tour not to discuss the situation" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/19).