Cricket Australia (CA) has come up with some significant changes to the Big Bash League (BBL) system regarding the contract and availability of players. The modifications include a substantial increase in player remuneration, which has become feasible due to the newly established five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, announced earlier this month.
Under the new regulations, the eight BBL teams can enlist up to two CA-contracted players, who will be listed under a newly created Marquee Supplementary List. They will only be available for selection if the opportunity arises.
After a considerable rise in the total payments pool of each club from $1.9 million to $3 million, it is now mandatory for every club to have at least six players (whether domestic, overseas, or CA-contracted) who receive a salary of $200,000 or above per season, and these players will be considered as marquee players. In BBL|13, the combined payment for these six players should not be less than $1.7 million.
Additionally, the league has confirmed salary hikes for three of the four draft bands. Notably, platinum picks are scheduled to earn $420,000 in BBL|13, which is an increase of 23.5% compared to last season.
Notably, overseas players picked at the gold level will experience a 15% hike in their salary, receiving $300,000. The silver picks will also witness a rise of 14%, and they will earn $200,000. In contrast, the bronze salary band will maintain their payment of $100,000 in BBL|13.
Further, in order to obtain the full payment, platinum players must now be present for the entire season, unlike last edition, where top players like Rashid Khan and Trent Boult received the top wage despite leaving midway to play in other T20 leagues in South Africa and the UAE. However, platinum-drafted players available for eight matches or fewer will still receive $360,000 for the season.
