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MOU talks continue after 'concocted crisis'

Negotiations between Cricket Australia and the players' union are progressing following latest meeting between respective CEOs

Cricket Australia has quelled speculation the coming Ashes summer is under threat, claiming that negotiations for a new Memorandum of Understanding are progressing positively despite a series of curious statements by the players' union over the weekend that have been described as fuelling a "concocted crisis".

CA Chief Executive James Sutherland met for more than two hours with his Australian Cricketers' Association counterpart Alistair Nicholson today to further progress an agreement, with further meetings scheduled over coming days.

The tone of conciliation stands starkly at odds with claims made in ACA correspondence over the weekend that left CA officials "perplexed" and "bemused" given that productive talks had taken place just hours before the union wrote to players warning the weeks of negotiations were at risk of regressing 'back to square one'.

In an email sent after Nicholson had updated the ACA's executive on progress of the MOU negotiations last Friday, players were also told that the vast level of detail that needed to be covered in a new agreement meant it "still may not be completed with time enough to meet the needs of fans, sponsors and broadcasters invested in the upcoming tours and the summer of cricket".

CA indicated today it remains "100 per cent confident" the summer's Ashes series against England will proceed as planned starting in Brisbane on November 23, but were less clear on the rationale for the rolling commentary on the ongoing talks provided by the ACA over the weekend.

This included:

  • Claims that a 'terms sheet' flagged as a possible "peace proposal" by the ACA had been rejected by CA even though the union had specifically noted it was not a legally binding document
  • Assertions that the 'terms sheet' had been tendered on Tuesday and the union was awaiting CA's response, even though contents and financial assumptions contained within the document had been discussed at length (despite its unofficial status) during negotiations last Wednesday
  • A pledge that the union will continue to fight for a "fair share for all players and for grassroots cricket" even though the proposal contained in the initial 'terms sheet' delivered more money to players and less to grassroots than was mandated under the previous MOU
  • A suggestion that any move by CA to ignore the proposals outlined in the 'terms sheet' would "have the effect of taking the negotiations back to 'square one' minimising the good work and good faith acquired over the last two weeks and again jeopardising upcoming tours" even though the document was tendered unsolicited and held no formal status

Despite being confused by claims that MOU negotiations that seemed to be progressing harmoniously on Friday afternoon were suddenly at risk of collapsing just hours later – without any formal meetings having taken place in the interim – CA remains hopeful an agreement is imminent.

"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 this evening in the wake of the meeting between Sutherland and Nicholson.

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

It is understood the ACA used its missive to players on Friday evening as part of its regular communications roll-out to keep their members abreast of developments in the negotiations for a new MOU that was due to come into effect on July 1.

The decision to air the prospect of talks regressing to "square one" has also been interpreted as a stunt to gain additional leverage in negotiations, by raising the prospect of a major setback to the process when the unofficial 'terms sheet' was not accepted by CA as a de facto MOU.

A media statement issued by the ACA this morning, the 35th put out by the union in relation to the MOU (CA has released 14 over the same period), referred to the unofficial 'term sheet' under a headline 'Players Propose Peace Plan'.

Among the items included in the 'term sheet' and outlined in the media statement was a proposal for players to allocate a sum of up to $30 million 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.

The union also reiterated that back pay to players who have been continuing to train without remuneration since becoming uncontracted when the previous MOU expired on June 30 was "plainly and rightly non-negotiable".

And claimed that both parties agreeing to the 'terms sheet', despite their mutual agreement that it was not a legally binding document, provided a vehicle by which the ongoing impasse could be quickly resolved "given the urgency" of the negotiations.

"Reaching in principle agreement is what the players have attempted to do this week as a way of breaking the deadlock and not jepoardising (sic) any more cricket," Nicholson said in the release.