Big Bash legend Lynn jumps ship in $700k move
Big Bash legend Lynn jumps ship in $700k move: Chris Lynn, an Australian cricketer, has officially abandoned the Big Bash League in favor of the first International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates.
Credits : Fox News
Emirates Cricket stated on Monday that 54 foreign cricketers have accepted to play in the newly designed T20 competition, which will debut in January 2023.
Lynn, one of the game’s most lethal short-format batsmen, was the lone Australian on a list that included Ashes champion Moeen Ali and West Indies veteran Andre Russell.
The 2023 ILT20 will consist of 34 matches, with each side playing each other twice before four playoff matches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
According to reports, the UAE league might pay players up to AU$700,000 for five weeks of labor.
“It’s wonderful to see how nicely the squads are shaping up for the first season of ILT20,” said Emirates Cricket General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani.
“Each squad will include 18 players, four from the UAE and two from ICC Associate nations.” The caliber of the names released today is exceptional, as is the level of interest in our league from elite players from across the world.
“We are really delighted that a small number of UAE representative-players from our current pool will be considered and signed on to play in the league.” It is also critical to note that these (UAE) players will be part of the team’s starting XI.
“One of the key objectives of the ILT20 is to provide opportunities for players from the UAE and other Associate nations to perform on the big stage, and the ECB expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the six franchises for their support of our vision to grow our game and create stronger, more competitive players.”
The announcement basically ensures that Lynn, the most prolific run-scorer in Big Bash League history, will not sign with a BBL side this season.
After two disappointing seasons in the domestic T20 tournament, the Brisbane Heat decided not to extend the Queenslander’s $200,000 contract in May.
Lynn was not only a founding member of the Heat, earning a BBL title with the Brisbane-based side in 2013, but he also served as captain for several years.
According to The Age, the 32-year-old was unable to find any team prepared to meet his asking price, after previously speaking with the Adelaide Strikers.
The strong right-hander has 3005 Big Bash runs at 34.54 and a 148.83 strike rate.
Lynn has been in superb form this winter, most notably smashing an unbeaten 113 from 57 balls in the T20 Blast to tie his highest individual score and set up a Northamptonshire win.
Although the loss of Lynn is a huge setback for the BBL, Cricket Australia is reportedly close to reaching an agreement with ace batter David Warner.
The Australian reports that Warner has been handed a breakthrough BBL contract that goes above and beyond any prior player contract.
“I am very hoping that David will play in the BBL, and I am hopeful that all of our top Australian cricketers will participate in it,” Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Todd Greenberg said this week on the Cricket Et Cetera podcast.
“There are several causes for this. There’s no doubt that someone like David and others of his ilk could earn more money in the upcoming Australian summer if they worked abroad, but there’s a much broader discussion and a bigger picture we’re trying to solve here, and that’s the discussion I’m having with several of our players this week.”
CA is anxious to guarantee that the sport’s greatest players compete in the BBL this summer; the tournament has been bereft of international-quality talent after being plagued by Covid-19 for the previous two seasons.
The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this year that Channel 7 has filed a Federal Court case against CA in an attempt to end its TV rights arrangement.
According to the News Corp article, Seven is sure that the cricketers who competed in the BBL last summer were not of sufficient caliber for the tournament to fulfill the standard conditions stated in CA’s TV rights deal.
The Big Bash League, on the other hand, has already recruited former South African captain Faf du Plessis and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, as well as Australian talents Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Swepson, Nathan Lyon, and Alex Carey.
However, due to the sport’s hectic schedule, multi-format paceman Mitchell Starc has already opted not to sign with any franchise, and Australian colleagues Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins will most likely follow suit.