CA chief executive Roberts was desperate for the sport, including state associations and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA), to form a united front in response to its financial woes.

But, as states and CA prepare for prolonged funding talks to continue with another meeting on Thursday, he has still failed to convince Cricket NSW and Queensland Cricket that there is a crisis needing drastic action.

Almost four weeks ago, Roberts stood down the vast majority of his staff and outlined fears the organisation could run out of cash by the end of August.

Roberts also sought a $200 million line of bank credit, to cover the prospect of India not arriving for a lucrative series that now appears likely to go ahead, and pitched his cost-cutting vision to the states and senior players.

State associations rejected CA's request to slice their grants by 45 per cent.

CA's new offer of 25 per cent, including different triggers in place because of revenue uncertainty created by COVID-19, has yet to be embraced by all the states.

NSW and Queensland feel CA is yet to prove that such a cut is necessary as they continue to wait for financial information and answers to various questions.

Those running the game in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania have agreed to the funding adjustment, while the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) has done so on the basis that all states agree.

The standoff, which is starting to become more tense as debate over the financial health of the sport continues with limited progress, is not expected to be resolved soon.

However, head office can ill-afford for the saga to drag on too long as the end of the financial year approaches and it also struggles to advance pay talks with the ACA.

Roberts, who cut a typically calm figure throughout Wednesday's video chat with CA staff, chief operating officer Scott Grant and/or chairman Earl Eddings could try to increase pressure on those states withholding support.

Yet that would risk creating further discontent in Brisbane and Sydney, where Cricket NSW chairman John Knox has already proved himself one of the sport's most powerful figures by prompting the resignation of CA counterpart David Peever.

There is also the prospect of heightening tensions between states, whose bigwigs have already exchanged forthright opinions about their respective stances on the divisive issue.

Some form of formal mediation would be the next step, but negotiations are ongoing and there is no suggestion that such a measure will be required at this stage.

A strained relationship with the states was highlighted as one of CA's many weaknesses in a scathing 2018 independent report, which prompted former Credit Suisse Australia boss Knox to oust Peever.

Australian Associated Press