David Warner and Cricket Australia are in the process of negotiating a contract for the forthcoming season of the Big Bash League (BBL), which will take place at the same time as the IPL-backed UAE International League T20.
It is currently unknown whether or not Australian star opening batter David Warner will participate in the inaugural edition of the UAE International League T20 (ILT20) in January. The most recent reports in Australia suggest that the explosive southpaw is set to highlight in the Big Bash League (BBL) for the first time since 2013. This comes after the Big Bash League opened negotiations with Cricket Australia (CA).
David Warner’s management made the announcement earlier this week that negotiations had begun between the two organisations over a prospective contract for the 2018 BBL season. Warner, who is under contract with the CA, does not have a pact to participate in the BBL. Despite this, he was keen on playing in the ILT20, which would begin following the conclusion of Australia’s test series against South Africa.
It is important to note that the seasoned Australian batter had submitted an application for a no-objection certificate (NOC), asking for permission to play in the cash-rich UAE league instead of the BBL. This is something that should not be overlooked. Given that he is a member of the Indian Premier Tournament team Delhi Capitals, which is the owner of the ILT20 team Dubai Capitals, his participation in the newly announced league appeared to be becoming more possible.
In comparison to the BBL, the UAE-based league has been causing a commotion among international players because to the rich contract it offers and the shorter length of its tournaments. It has given players like David Warner an enormous bargaining leverage against by the CA in terms of increasing their wage caps, and as a result, the CA has been forced to negotiate with them. It is reported that the highest contracts in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Australian players are worth approximately 190,000 Australian dollars (approximately 132,000 US dollars), which is nearly half of what the ILT20 is providing.
The California Warriors are planning to dramatically up their offers in the hopes of retaining their best players for the BBL.
BBL contracts have been signed by some of the most prominent Twenty20 players in the country, including Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa, Aaron Finch, and Tim David. The decision made by the CA to pay AUD 340,000 (about US$ 236,000) to top overseas players who were nominated in the draught has not been well received by the players.
To keep their highly-rated Australian players tied to the domestic T20 competition, which is experiencing legal troubles from broadcast alliance Channel Seven over breach of quality in relation to the BBL, the CA will need to negotiate a deal that is closer to the offerings to ‘platinum’ category overseas players.
