Cricket’s warring parties burnt the midnight oil on Sunday, fuelling hope this week could bring genuine progress in the protracted pay saga.
Cricket Australia (CA) and Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) remain locked in negotiations over a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with the previous agreement having expired a month ago, leaving players unemployed.
CA chief executive James Sutherland has made it clear he aims to send the dispute to arbitration if there is no deal in place early this week.
That would allow any unresolved articles of the MOU to be decided by arbitration, also ensuring players tour Bangladesh in August. Smith and his teammates reaffirmed last week they will not tour without some form of agreement in place.
“In the event of no agreement being reached the ACA believes mediation is the right process.
“The ACA will examine the correspondence provided by CA and any suggested parameters for arbitration before making further comment.”
Former captain Michael Clarke claimed on Sunday it would be “silly” for the union to reject arbitration.
