Sydney, Oct 8: A group of leading IPL franchises offered Australia captain Pat Cummins and his deputy Travis Head staggering multi-year deals worth AUD 10 million (Rs 58.46 crore) each to play exclusively in T20 leagues, but both players turned them down, according to a report.
The offers, nearly six times more than what top Australian players earn under their board’s central contracts, were made earlier this year as part of a push by IPL-backed investors to assemble full-time franchise squads, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The offers, made this year by an IPL team group, were politely rebuffed by two of Australia’s most valuable cricket assets, who remain firmly committed to the national team,” stated the report.
Senior Australian players earn around AUD 1.5 million (Rs 8.77 crore) annually from Cricket Australia (CA) contracts, with Cummins’ total income rising to AUD 3 million (Rs 17.54 crore) including captaincy allowances.
The report said the development came to light during discussions between Cricket Australia, state bodies and the players’ association on possible privatisation of the Big Bash League, underscoring the growing financial might of global T20 franchises.
Head, who featured in both the IPL and Major League Cricket last year, admitted that playing franchise tournaments gave him a glimpse of life outside international cricket but insisted his focus remained with Australia. “Currently I’m playing for Australia, and I don’t see a timeline where I can play anything (else) really… I want to commit, as much as I can, to Australia,” Head said. (PTI)
