Cricket Australia is on a collision course with major news organisations that may result in a print news blackout of this week's first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Brisbane.

The sport's national governing body and the media have come into conflict over CA's new policy which includes charging news organisations to take news photos at games.

CA has also appointed a private company to take photos for them to be sold to the media.

"At this point will it mean a boycott on Thursday? It could do. But it is in the hands of the editors and the owners of these organisations," said a member of the News Media Coalition.

"I think we will know more in the next 48 hours. It is very much in the hands of Cricket Australia to ensure that normal service is resumed."

The first Test starts on Thursday at the Gabba.

"There is not an organised boycott but there is certainly a coinciding of view points across the industry that Cricket Australia have got it wrong and we need to say to Cricket Australia they have got it wrong.

"They are tampering with the fundamentals of news coverage and legitimate editorial businesses."

CA has made a concerted effort to reduce the levels of information reported by media from matches in a bid to strengthen its own website and bargaining power with rights holders.

The News Media Coalition, which acts as a conduit between the media and sporting bodies, has become involved in the negotiations which include News Limited, Fairfax, Australian Associated Press, Getty Images and the major international agencies.

Cricket Australia general manager of public affairs Peter Young said CA didn't think a boycott would eventuate.

"From cricket's point of view there is no interest in controlling the type of information that comes out of games, the photographs taken or the stories written," he said.

"We have never done that in our 102-year history and we are not interested in starting to do that.

"We are very, very keen for media to come into the ground and report the game full, frank and fearlessly as they always have.

"All we are saying where you create commercial value out of our intellectual property we think it is fair and reasonable that some of that should come back into the sport in the same way that we say to (TV rights holder) Channel Nine."

The issue is a hot topic because of the financial revenues being claimed from the growth of news content in new technologies such as the internet and mobile phones.

The standoff over cricket is just the latest battle ground between sporting and news organisations around the world.

It follows the International Rugby Board's attempt to impose severe restrictions on the numbers of photographs taken at games at this year's World Cup in France.

That battle was only resolved an hour and a half before kick off in the first game of the tournament.

Media groups argue such restrictions reduce the freedom of the press while sporting bodies claim they are merely looking after the interests of their rights holders.

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