Fifteen Australia players offered deals in UAE T20 League (ILT20)
ILT20 is slated to start next year in the UAE.
As many as 15 Australian players have been offered deals to choose International League T20 (ILT20) over Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) for a year. ILT20 is slated to start near next year in the UAE and is said to be the second most lucrative tournament after the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The highest paid cricketer in ILT20 is set to get USD 450,000, and when compared to BBL, the highest amount paid to a player there is USD 238,000 per season. In IPL, the highest-paid player gets more than USD 2 million per season.
With so much money being offered to local players, Cricket Australia and Australian Cricketers Association are now feeling the pressure and trying to convince them to play in the BBL instead of participating in ILT20. Apart from David Warner, Australian batter Chris Lynn, who was recently released by his previous franchise Brisbane Heat has also been offered a deal in the ILT20.
Meanwhile, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Todd Greenberg has said that the Australian cricketers are not thinking about short-term plans and have a genuine sense of care about the game.
We’re not in the business of being sycophants: Greenberg
“I’ve been really heartened by the maturity of the players in response because after a discussion and communication and a bit more context, they’re not just thinking about the short-term. They do have this genuine sense of care about the game – if they didn’t, they would be mercenaries and take what’s in front of them. But they’re not; they’re actually taking a mature, considered approach to this and trying to be part of the solution.” Greenberg told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Sometimes, when you work closely with players, you’ve got to tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. We’re not in the business of being sycophants – occasionally you need to square them up, talk to them as adults, and give them proper information and let them make some informed decisions with a long-term focus,” he added.
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