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Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) could soon see a big change that will completely change the way teams sign overseas players for the tournament. Actually, Cricket Australia (CA) is thinking seriously about removing its current draft system and bringing an IPL-style auction into the BBL.
This came amid the reports that many Australian domestic players are not happy with the current payment system in the Big Bash League. Several local cricketers feel overseas stars are getting paid far more money while local players are not receiving the same importance in the BBL.
CA and ACA agree to remove draft system from BBL
Presently, some top foreign players in the BBL earn around $420,000 for a season. That amount is much higher than what many Australian players get in their own country’s T20 league. Because of this huge difference, players’ frustration has now become a big headache for Cricket Australia.
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As reported by CODE Sports, Cricket Australia recently held an important meeting with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) about changing the draft system in the Big Bash League. After the meeting, CA and ACA have reportedly agreed to remove the BBL draft soon.
Many have agreed to copy the auction model of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In this system, teams would decide themselves how much they want to spend on overseas players instead of paying fixed big amounts. The authorities feel this could help local players earn better money as well.
Big Bash League explore direct deals without draft or auction
If franchises spend less on foreign stars, the saved money could be used for Australian cricketers who play the entire season. At the same time, another option is also being discussed where there would be no draft and no auction. In that case, teams would directly talk to overseas players and make their own deals privately.
But even after these possible changes, the BBL still faces one major problem. South Africa’s SA20 league is becoming very powerful and is attracting many top international players with bigger salaries during the January season.
Because of SA20’s growth, CA is also trying to bring private investors into the BBL. It is being said that there are plans to sell four teams first and later expand the process to the other teams as well.
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SA20 pressure forces Cricket Australia to think bigger
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg reportedly believes that the Big Bash League must become financially stronger if it wants to compete with the world’s richest T20 tournaments, as the leagues around the world are spending massive money on players every year for global reach.
Todd Greenberg was quoted as saying by The Grade Cricketer, “So, on private capital, the concept is that there are global T20 leagues popping up all over the world. They’ve got significant funds; they’re paying players significant amounts of money.”
The CA CEO further added, “If we want to compete, we’ve got to be in that conversation. Because otherwise what happens is your sport gets further away from having the best players. You talked about the best Australian players; 100%, you’re right, but we also want the best players globally to see us as a league they want to play in.”
