Cricket Australia is on the verge of agreeing a new pay deal with the players’ union, ending a long impasse and avoiding the need for arbitration. A Cricket Australia spokesman said yesterday that negotiations had advanced to the “final details” after days of lengthy talks with the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
News Ltd media declared on Tuesday a “peace deal brokered” and the “Ashes saved”, a reference to the upcoming Test series against England. But talks continued to grind on into yesterday. Australia’s top 230 players have effectively been unemployed since the last five-year agreement expired on June 30 and an “A” tour of South Africa has already fallen victim to the lockout.
Australia captain Steve Smith said on Tuesday he was confident of a deal being brokered, but confirmed players would not travel to Bangladesh for a two-Test tour starting this month until the dispute was resolved. CA chief executive James Sutherland proposed taking the matter to binding arbitration if a deal was not struck by early this week.

Bangladesh seek Australian inside knowledge for Tests
Bangladesh have set their sights on winning both upcoming Tests against Australia and should get some inside knowledge from former Aussie leg spinner Stuart MacGill, according to coach Chandika Hathurusingha. MacGill is close to joining another Australian, Mark O’Neill, on the Bangladesh backroom staff for the tour by the world number three-ranked nation. Australia are due to arrive on August 18 for their first Test series in Bangladesh since 2006.
The two Tests will be followed by a Bangladesh tour of South Africa for two Tests and three one-day internationals in September-October. Bangladesh are looking to build on a year in which they recorded their maiden Test wins over England and Sri Lanka, before reaching the Champions Trophy semi-final in June.
“We have made some progress in Test cricket. Now we have the game-plan of winning in the sub-continent. We want to win the two Tests against Australia,” Hathurusingha said. Bangladesh already have former West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh as fast bowling coach. 

Limited-overs matches dominate India’s cramped home season
Limited-overs cricket will return to dominate India’s home season as the country hosts Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka between late September and December.
India are ranked number one in Tests and last year played 13 of the long-format matches during a bumper home season against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia. Virat Kohli’s men, who won all four Test series, also played eight ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals in the last home season.
The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has, however, not finalised the dates of the matches due to logistical reasons. The team will play 11 one-day internationals, nine Twenty20 matches and three Tests.
Steve Smith-led Australia will be first to arrive in India. Australia, who lost a four-Test series 2-1 away to India in February-March, will play five ODIs and three T20 matches. New Zealand will then play three ODIs and three T20 internationals. Sri Lanka, who are currently hosting India, will then play a full series comprising three tests, three ODIs and an identical number of T20 matches. Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi have been marked down to host the three tests against the South Asian neighbours. India are scheduled to travel to South Africa for a full tour after the completion of the matches against Sri Lanka. 
India’s 2017-18 home season
Australia: 5 ODIs in Chennai, Bangalore, 
Nagpur, Indore and Kolkata; 3 T20Is in 
Hyderabad, Ranchi and Guwahati
New Zealand: 3 ODIs in Pune, Mumbai and Kanpur; 3 T20Is in Delhi, Cuttack and Rajkot
Sri Lanka: 3 Tests in Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi; 3 ODIs in Dharamsala, Mohali and Vizag; 3 T20Is in Thiruvananthapuram, Indore and Mumbai 

First day-night Test in New Zealand still in the dark
The first day-night Test in New Zealand remains in doubt with New Zealand Cricket yet to receive council approval to stage the pink-ball contest against England at Eden Park in March. 
More than two years after featuring in the first pink-ball Test in Australia, New Zealand’s hopes of staging their own in the series-opener against England hinge on the outcome of an “independent hearing into using lights on a Sunday,” NZC said. 
The March 22-26 match will be followed by the second and final Test in Christchurch from March 30. England, who also play five one-dayers before the Tests, will begin their tour by joining Ashes rivals Australia in the first ever Twenty20 tri-series between full ICC members. New Zealand kick off their home summer with two Tests against West Indies in December, one less than originally planned, with an eye on the proposed ‘Test Championship’.
New Zealand, host of the under-19 World Cup next year, also welcome Pakistan for five one-dayers and three Twenty20 internationals in January.