Hitman
Senior T20I Player
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2013
- Runs
- 17,911
Calls for the BBL to be privatised have intensified after it was revealed Australia's captain Pat Cummins and deputy Travis Head were offered nearly $10 million a year to play T20 cricket overseas fulltime.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports an IPL team made the offers this year, which were rejected by the players, who cited their commitment to the Australian cricket team.
But news of the offers were discussed between Cricket Australia, the state associations and the players' union as they consider privatising the Big Bash League.
Cummins' international cricket salary is around $3 million, taking into account his captaincy duties.
Money generated from selling off Big Bash franchises would raise player salaries, and also link the T20 league into a growing global network of franchise owners.
Cummins' IPL auction value with Sunrisers Hyderabad last year was worth almost $3.7 million, while Head went for about $1.2 million at the same team.
While cricket players are the top earners in the domestic sport market, they fall behind top earner Oscar Piastri and Australians competing in NBA and NFL. All the top earning athletes compete in sports with private ownership.
South African Heinrich Klaasen, a teammate of Head and Cummins at Mumbai, retired from all forms of international cricket in June to play franchise cricket only.
"I spent a lot of time with Klaasen over a period of time while he was making decisions," Head said. "I don't think there's any written rule on what you should or shouldn't play or what you should or shouldn't give up. There's an idea on what people should think, and what they should do.
"Playing international cricket is the pinnacle. A lot of people hold it so high in regard, but some people don't. People have got to respect that there's no one way to go about it.
"A lot of people would give their left nut to play international cricket, and that comes from someone who's played a lot of cricket or someone who's played none, who wants to do it. So when someone gives up that opportunity it's 'why are you doing it?' But there's a reason, and you've got to respect that.
"What's happening in the world at the moment is people have opportunities to make those decisions, which we've never had [before]. So it's hard to knock someone who is making a decision in their own personal state and trying to get job satisfaction. Fair play."
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Link: https://www.nine.com.au/sport/crick...leave-australian-cricket-20251008-p5n0up.html
The Sydney Morning Herald reports an IPL team made the offers this year, which were rejected by the players, who cited their commitment to the Australian cricket team.
But news of the offers were discussed between Cricket Australia, the state associations and the players' union as they consider privatising the Big Bash League.
Cummins' international cricket salary is around $3 million, taking into account his captaincy duties.
Money generated from selling off Big Bash franchises would raise player salaries, and also link the T20 league into a growing global network of franchise owners.
Cummins' IPL auction value with Sunrisers Hyderabad last year was worth almost $3.7 million, while Head went for about $1.2 million at the same team.
While cricket players are the top earners in the domestic sport market, they fall behind top earner Oscar Piastri and Australians competing in NBA and NFL. All the top earning athletes compete in sports with private ownership.
South African Heinrich Klaasen, a teammate of Head and Cummins at Mumbai, retired from all forms of international cricket in June to play franchise cricket only.
"I spent a lot of time with Klaasen over a period of time while he was making decisions," Head said. "I don't think there's any written rule on what you should or shouldn't play or what you should or shouldn't give up. There's an idea on what people should think, and what they should do.
"Playing international cricket is the pinnacle. A lot of people hold it so high in regard, but some people don't. People have got to respect that there's no one way to go about it.
"A lot of people would give their left nut to play international cricket, and that comes from someone who's played a lot of cricket or someone who's played none, who wants to do it. So when someone gives up that opportunity it's 'why are you doing it?' But there's a reason, and you've got to respect that.
"What's happening in the world at the moment is people have opportunities to make those decisions, which we've never had [before]. So it's hard to knock someone who is making a decision in their own personal state and trying to get job satisfaction. Fair play."
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Link: https://www.nine.com.au/sport/crick...leave-australian-cricket-20251008-p5n0up.html