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MELBOURNE. — The Australian cricketers’ union has told players a pay deal may not be struck with the national board before the home “summer of cricket”, which includes the lucrative and highly anticipated Ashes series.

The long-running pay dispute has already scuppered an Australia A tour to South Africa and left upcoming tours of Bangladesh and India in doubt.

The Australian Cricketers’ Association said it had presented a new “Terms Sheet” to Cricket Australia but warned players that a new collective bargaining agreement, known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), would take time to complete.

“If there is agreement, the next step would be the more intensive MOU and contract drafting period,” Nicholson said in excerpts of the email published by Fairfax.

“Given past experience and the massive detail involved, this would take some time and 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.”

Australia’s home summer kicks off with the first match of the five-Test Ashes series against England in Brisbane from November 23. — Reuters.