The Big Bash League (BBL), whose dates coincide with the International League (ILT20) in the UAE League, has reportedly been offered a staggering AUD 700,000 in deals to 15 top Australian players. This has led to significant conflict within Cricket Australia (CAranks. )’s The Big Bash League will take place from December 13 to February 4 while the first ILT20 will take place from January 6 to February 12. Australian players will thus be unable to compete in both events.
According to a source in the Sydney Morning Herald, “up to 15 Australian players have been offered contracts paying up to AUD 700,000 a year to leave the Big Bash League and play in the UAE Twenty20 event in January.”
Warner hasn’t participated in a single BBL game since 2014, and the majority of the best Australian players are not required to play in the league as part of their current central contracts.
D’arcy Short received the highest reward from the draught in the BBL to date, which was $258,000 (AUD 370,000), a substantial decrease from the sums given to prominent Australian players in the IPL.
However, with Indian IPL owners investing in the T20 leagues in the UAE and CSA, the BBL will need to make changes to its compensation plan to keep the finest in the game engaged.
Senior cricket insiders claim that “the extent of the planned raid on Australian players extends much beyond the possibility of losing one player – David Warner – to the UAE because he does not have a BBL agreement,” as reported by the Australian newspapers “The Age” and “The Sydney Morning Herald.”
In addition, the newspaper stated that “UAE contract sizes so far above and beyond what has been on offer in the BBL have placed Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association under pressure to reassure players that they are not falling behind the rest of the world by remaining loyal to the game in this country.”
However, it’s been heard that CA, in an effort to maintain the luster and caliber of the BBL, is eager to strike a rich one-time agreement with Warner, preventing him from accepting the ILT20 offer.
The chief executive of the governing body, Nick Hockley, and his counterpart from the player union, Todd Greenberg, have been taking a tonne of calls from players about the offers while CA is negotiating with Warner to find a method to reinstate him in the BBL this summer, according to SMH.
Greenberg believes that Australian athletes are not “mercenaries” and will ultimately make a mature decisions.
If they didn’t, they would act like mercenaries and accept what is put in front of them. They do, however, have this true feeling of concern about the game.
“But they’re not; in fact, they’re approaching this with maturity and consideration and attempting to contribute to the answer. It all boils down to building connections with your own players and earning their confidence, according to Greenberg.
He did, however, remember to say that CA needs to take action on the pay cap.
“I do know CA have to stay within the salary cap principles for any player and that includes Dave (warner),” Greenberg said.
“But clearly they’ve got to try to make the best offer they can to keep him here. It’s a balance of trying to make sure you’re attracting your best players and there’s some equity in the system and the model so that all of them have the opportunity to play and are remunerated accordingly.”
15 Australian Players were offered $500,000 to forego the BBL and play in the UAE League
