Australian World Cup squad will be announced after ceasefire in pay war

The war of words over Australia’s World Cup selection took a favourable turn on Friday when a peace deal was reached.

A temporary truce in netball’s ongoing pay dispute will allow the squad for next month’s World Cup to be selected.

Netball Australia and the players have been at loggerheads over the messy pay dispute that delayed the naming of the squad and earnt the governing body a stinging rebuke from ­the Australian Netball Players’ Association

The World Cup squad was meant to be announced on Tuesday, but NA boss Kelly Ryan said it couldn‘t be picked until a new collective bargaining agreement was agreed to and contracts signed.

But after a player meeting on Wednesday, NA was urged to “decouple national selection from industrial negotiations” by the players’ association and in the name of the “wellbeing of all players” advise who has been selected in the Diamonds’ squad.

On Friday, NA confirmed a temporary deal had been done.

“We have come to an agreement with the ANPA to provide certainty to the playing group and we’re looking forward to supporting the team throughout the 2023 Netball World Cup,” Ryan said in a statement.

Diamonds captain Liz Watson is yet to know who will play alongside her at the World Cup. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

The agreement is an extension of current playing terms to provide certainty for the Australian squad.

Players will be notified of their selection on Friday, but the team will remain confidential under NA’s selection policy until an announcement.

The issue had reached boiling point after the players’ association revealed players had reached out “expressing confusion, sadness and anger” at the standoff.

The ANPA also said claims negotiations had been taking place for 12 months were false.

“The negotiations have only been active for a matter of weeks,” the statement said.

“ANPA commits to good faith negotiation and regards this escalation as contrary to that principle.”

Netball Australia has previously revealed its financial issues, with a $4.2m debt being serviced while it tries to create a new pay deal for players.