Australian cricket's "long-running pay dispute continues to drag on but there are glimmers of hope a resolution may be near," according to Jonathan Howcroft of the London GUARDIAN. A Cricket Australia spokesperson said that an agreement with the Australian Cricketers' Association is "closer than it appears." The governing body "was bullish about the chances of August’s tour of Bangladesh going ahead and there was even greater confidence in this summer’s men’s and women’s Ashes taking place." By comparison, the ACA's tone "was much more cautious." Negotiations for the new deal began in December "but ill will surfaced quickly and discussions were soon shelved." In March, CA submitted the first draft of a revised MOU, documenting the "controversial removal of the fixed-revenue payment model," a suggestion "rejected out of hand by the players." Talks continue toward the drafting of a "non-binding heads of agreement." This general document "establishes the core tenets" of the MOU, which will then be "worked through in detail over time." It "is here the presence or absence of the principle of revenue sharing is causing so much angst," with ACA "insistent on its inclusion and CA refusing to budge." Despite Tuesday's "cause for cautious optimism," as "anybody who has followed this saga closely" will realize, until ACA CEO Alistair Nicholson and his CA counterpart James Sutherland are side-by-side at a press conference, "there is no guarantee of a resumption of play" (GUARDIAN, 7/25). In Melbourne, Russell Gould reported nearly A$700M ($556M) "has been taken off the table in cricket's pay war as robust negotiations" inch toward a "summer-saving resolution." Despite the "changing financial landscape," the unemployed players could "still share in a pay rise" of up to A$120M ($95.3M) over the next five years -- taking the payment pool to around A$500M ($397M) -- if the latest offer from CA "gets the green light." The "big hike," which includes payments to female cricketers for the first time, is "well short" of the A$200M ($159M) bump players were "originally after." But as the potential for a boycott of the Bangladesh Test tour looms, "which would come at a financial cost to CA," the ACA has "conceded its original forecast revenues are now unlikely to be reached." As part of the ACA's "peace plan," which it believes could end the nine-month "impasse," the union conceded it would accept CA's "lower end" revenue scenarios and "shape all discussions about the player's share around the governing body's financial predictions" (HERALD SUN, 7/25).
MAJOR SETBACK: In Melbourne, Andrew Wu reported discussions are being held "amid a climate of mistrust, with both sides still angry with the other over the latest setbacks which doused any hope" of a heads of agreement being struck last week. There is a view inside the players' camp that the pay war "has set player and board relations back 40 years to the days of World Series Cricket," when leading players unhappy with their pay "turned their backs on the establishment and signed with media mogul Kerry Packer to play in a breakaway competition." The tension between players and administrators prompted former cricketer Geoff Lawson to "publicly question how the two parties can work together this summer." There are "also concerns from TV broadcasters worried how they will market players" whose public images have "taken a battering" due to the dispute (THE AGE, 7/25).
PREGNANCY CLAUSE REMOVED: In Melbourne, Rob Forsaith reported the "controversial pregnancy clause that derailed pay talks some seven months ago was changed for the short-term deals" that ensured Australia's participation in the just-completed Women's Cricket World Cup. CA "removed the antiquated reference that demanded cricketers declare they are not pregnant." The Fair Work Ombudsman confirmed its investigation into the matter that made headlines last summer "remains ongoing" (THE AGE, 7/25).
TICKET SALES UNAFFECTED: In Melbourne, Phil Lutton reported CA insisted the pay dispute "has not taken a toll on ticket sales for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane," with punters and corporates "continuing to book even with a cloud hanging over the series." The "lingering uncertainty has put fans and businesses in search of corporate boxes in a difficult position," particularly those that may need to "travel and add flights and hotels to their ticketing costs." Given it is the first match, "the Gabba Test is at the pointy end of the concerns," but CA said that the first two days "were almost sold out, while corporate boxes were continuing to be booked" (THE AGE, 7/25).
