New Delhi: Months of speculation surrounding the future of Australian cricketers seems to have come to an end, with reports suggesting that a deal has been reached to resolve Australian cricket's protracted pay dispute.
The move will pave way for the nation's professional players to be re-contracted, allowing the board to send its players for this month's scheduled Test tour to Bangladesh without fixture tweaks.
As per a report in cricket.com.au, the in-principle agreement was signed following a final round of face-to-face negotiations between Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland and the Australian Cricket Association (ACA) head Alistair Nicholson in Melbourne on Thursday.
The report further suggests that CA and the ACA have called a joint news conference for later in the day, when they will announce the agreement on a new pay deal to end the lockout of the country`s top players.
The ACA had asserted last month in a meeting that none of the nation's 300 professional cricketers would make themselves available to for matches organised by the CA until a new MoU fulfilling the demands of the players is agreed.
Australia's top players have effectively been unemployed since the previous five-year agreement expired on June 30 and an "A" tour of South Africa has already fallen victim to the acrimonious dispute.
A report on Cricket Australia`s website said a deal was struck after negotiations between Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland and union boss Alistair Nicholson in Melbourne on Thursday morning.
(With Reuters inputs)
