The Sydney Thunder will come to Manuka Oval in January if the the ACT government are willing to open their cheque book.
Canberra was robbed of its international fixture for the 2017-18 season when Cricket Australia broke a four-year contract to have the national side play in the capital every summer from 2015-19.
Officials scrambled to appease disgruntled Canberra cricket fans and the Thunder are set to deliver with the Big Bash franchise and ACT government ironing out the final contract details.
Cricket NSW boss Andrew Jones confirmed the Thunder have committed to the deal and are now waiting on the government to ink the paperwork.
"The Thunder region is not just western Sydney but southern NSW and ACT, so we're very keen to get the Thunder to play in Canberra, we just need to make sure the numbers work," Jones said.
"Obviously we've sold out every game at Spotless Stadium which is lower cost and higher capacity [than Manuka] and we could easily sell out a fifth game - so the discussion is to close the gap [financially].
"We want to bring the Big Bash contest to the whole Thunder fan base and we had a very successful game in Albury last preseason, but Canberra is the number one priority for a points match given the quality of the stadium.
"The discussions are alive we're hoping to lock it up in the next few weeks, ideally as soon as possible."
Canberra hosted the 2015 Big Bash final when the Perth Scorchers ousted the Sydney Sixers in a final-over thriller at a sold out Manuka Oval.
The only criticism of cricket in the capital is the pitch is widely considered a batsmen's paradise, and Jones made a light-hearted crack at the notorious road.
"Manuka is an excellent ground to play at, batters especially love playing there, and we had a great event down there with the Big Bash final a couple of years ago," Jones said.
"We're big fans of Canberra - it's a lovely city and very pleasant place to be, so we're keen to be there."
It is understood the Big Bash will expand in the coming seasons and Jones named Canberra a strong contender in a three-horse race to secure a new franchise.
"It's not a lock but I think Canberra would be a very strong candidate, a second team in Queensland would probably be my first port of call then it's between the ACT, Western Sydney and Geelong to become the 10th team," Jones said.
Curators at Manuka are currently installing three cameras in the football goal posts to cater for AFL club GWS Giants who play three games a year at the stadium.
The ground will undergo further redevelopment over the next 18 months in preparation for a historic Test against Sri Lanka in the 2018-19 summer.
