15 Australian Players Offered Big UAE T20 League Contracts
15 Australian Players Offered Big UAE T20 League: According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, the UAE T20 League, known as the International League T20 (ILT20), has targeted fifteen Australia National Cricket Team players and offered them huge contracts worth up to $700,000 per year to participate in the inaugural edition of the tournament by abandoning the Big Bash League (BBL).
The UAE T20 League, a 6-team competition, is planned to begin next year and will be a 34-match event, with each side playing each other twice in the league, followed by four playoff matches.
The tournament’s first edition was initially slated for January and February 2022, however it was delayed. The competition will be held before to the Pakistan Super League from January 6 to February 12.
Meanwhile, top cricket insiders told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that the UAE T20 League is interested in Australian players. At the moment, top opener David Warner, who does not have a BBL contract, is scheduled to play in the UAE T20 League, and with hefty salaries being offered, Cricket Australia (CA) may lose some more players.
Notably, CA is in discussions with Warner, and efforts are being made to reintroduce him to the BBL. Chris Lynn, who was released by the Brisbane Heat last year, wants to join an ILT20 side. He is also in negotiations with the Adelaide Strikers, and if he joins with the Strikers, he may be unable to compete in the UAE T20 League.
The International League T20 (ILT20) is expected to overtake the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the world’s second highest paid league, putting Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association under intense pressure to convince players that they are not falling behind the rest of the world.
Todd Greenberg, chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, has stated that he has been “very pleased” by the players’ maturity in reaction to large salaries given by the UAE T20 League.
Greenberg also stated that CA will make the finest offer to Warner in order to entice him back into the Big Bash League.
Todd Greenberg has stated that the cricket environment is under immense strain, which would only worsen with the formation of additional leagues.