Cricket Australia agree new pay deal with players

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association announced they had agreed a new pay deal "in principle" on Thursday, ending an acrimonious dispute that threatened the upcoming tour of Bangladesh and this year's Ashes series.

"I think we've reached a good compromise, one we can both live with and one that will be good for the game and good for Australia's cricketers," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland told a news conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"In announcing this agreement we are restoring certainty, beginning to repair relationships, especially with the fans. We want the focus to be back on the cricket."

The previous collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30, leaving roughly 230 players effectively unemployed and forcing the cancellation of Australia's 'A' tour of South Africa.