MELBOURNE: The fut­ure of Australian cricket remained uncertain on Sunday but there is a sense of optimism after discussions between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) were described as ‘productive’.

The stonewalling rec­ently hit a nadir when Alistair Nicholson, the ACA chief executive, said the Ashes might not eventuate even if a resolution was belatedly struck. However, Nicholson and his counterpart James Sutherland met with formal negotiations set to resume in the coming days.

“Cricket Australia will not comment on details of the negotiation but productive discussions were held today and progress is being made on a range of issues,” a CA spokesman said on Sunday night.

“We have been in constant communication with the ACA and we are expecting further meetings on the negotiation to continue over the coming days.”

In an ACA media statement on Sunday morning, players issued a six-point plan on their ‘Terms Sheet’, including a proposal to allocate a sum of up to 30 million Australian dollars to grassroots cricket out of the share of money they would receive from revenue above CA’s forecasts, as well as performance bonuses they might earn.

“This figure has been arrived at as it would match the current offer from CA to direct its proposed administrative cost savings into grassroots cricket, which itself is a welcome contribution from CA,” Nicholson wrote.

“Both parties agree to a gender-neutral pay model and the inclusion of women in the one MOU; and back pay be provided to players [who have kept training even though unemployed] and the current adjustment ledger would not be ‘rolled over’, both of which are, as instructed by you, plainly and rightly non-negotiable.”

In a bid to avert the calamity of a cancelled Ashes series, Nicholson said an in-principle agreement could be reached. “The previous MOU took almost 18 months to draft following an in-principle position being reached by both parties,” he said. “Reaching in-principle agreement is what the players have attempted to do this week as a way of breaking the deadlock and not jeopardising any more cricket.

“The players in the latest ACA offer have moved a long way. We are seeking the same kind of movement from CA,” he added.

The pay dispute has continued to linger on for more than three weeks since the June 30 deadline. About 230 players have been unemployed since the start of July and Australia ‘A’s tour of South Africa was canned.

Next in the firing line is Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh in August, which looks almost certain to be scrapped.

Players are still united in their stance to retain the revenue-sharing mode, while CA remains committed to overhauling it.

Candice Warner, the wife of Australian vice-captain David Warner, said players would be prepared to strike if there was not a compromise.

“I think they will. I really think they will. They are standing strong on this and, if they don’t get the MOU they want, then absolutely,” she told Channel Nine on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2017