Cricket ACT hopes to know the fate of its bid to rejoin the national one-day competition when officials meet with the Cricket Australia board at a meeting on October 30.
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As revealed in Fairfax Media last month, Cricket ACT has signed a memorandum of understanding to develop pathways with Country Cricket NSW and Cricket NSW, including a united push to play in the domestic 50-over competition from 2015.
Fringe players from other states would have the chance to play for a new team based in Canberra and Cricket Australia is considering the proposal.
Cricket ACT chairman Ian McNamee will be at a board meeting at the end of the month while Cricket NSW boss Andrew Jones will be in the capital on Friday to unveil the joint pathway program.
Canberra's first-grade captains have backed the proposal to have the Comets reincarnated under a new banner.
The capital is preparing to host a bumper summer of cricket, which includes Australia versus South Africa in six weeks, the Big Bash League final and three World Cup games at Manuka Oval.
McNamee said Cricket ACT was pushing ahead with its bid to join the one-day competition.
"We want to get it back to where it was once before, and I don't believe that aspiration is out of order," McNamee said.
"We are continuing to push the barrow for cricket in the ACT region. To have a wholly based ACT team straight away would be very difficult.
"This alignment with country cricket will increase our catchment population to about three million people, which is very significant for selections."
Fairfax Media first reported on September 3 that Cricket ACT, Country Cricket NSW and Cricket NSW were poised to form an alliance to strengthen the Comets' bid.
The ACT Comets were axed from the domestic one-day competition in 2000.
Cricket ACT, Country Cricket NSW and Cricket NSW have teamed up to form pathways to expand the Comets' catchment area to regional NSW.
The Blues will be NSW's major team, but players outside the metropolitan areas or on the fringes will be given a chance to rise through the Comets' representative ranks.
Wests-UC captain Ben Oakley played for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League last year and backed the Comets' readmission.
"Definitely good for Canberra cricket, good for the grade competition as well," Oakley said.
"If you get in the one-day comp you might see some fringe players from other competitions coming down here to play grade comp to get involved.
"Any sort of representative cricket the Comets can get into is good for the competition."
McNamee said he would welcome any proposals that would open up opportunities for players in the ACT.
"A step forward is a step forward," he said. "If you stay still, you go backwards.
"If something like that did happen, it would probably attract more players to come here.
"It's step by step and we're looking to advance cricket in the capital region."
"I'm not aware of what these discussions have been. If you look at these trial games, there are players that have come from NSW that have been tried out. You need to look at this in context."
