Big-hitters may be lost to BBL as rivals splash cash
SACKED drawcard Chris Lynn could be lost to the Big Bash altogether because of a new South African league offering marquee superstars over $400,000 for just four weeks’ work.
The BBL is set to introduce an overseas player draft for the first time this summer in a bid to lure the game’s biggest international names back Down Under and recapture the competition’s former magic ahead of a new make-orbreak TV rights deal.
But already that plan is under serious threat from cashed-up foreign raiders and Lynn’s shock axing has laid bare the latest potential predicament facing the besieged BBL.
South Africa is launching a new six-team T20 franchise league to run directly against the BBL in January, and the mail is they’re prepared to offer up to US$300,000 (approx. $433,000AUD) to fill overseas marquee spots on each team.
That’s a problem when Lynn was one of only a couple of players in the BBL – Australian or overseas – earning top dollar at $200,000 a season, with the average more around $100,000.
“Chris Lynn is a world class entertainer and an obvious target for the new South African league,” said respected South African broadcaster, Neil Manthorp. “There’d be executives watching his departure from the Brisbane Heat very closely.”
Players have complained about the BBL’s drawn out sixweek duration, and South Africa has looked to seize on that sentiment by promising a season of just four weeks, which starts late enough that players can enjoy Christmas at home.
And as if one rival league wasn’t enough, there is also talk about another T20 competition launching in the United Arab Emirates in January or February – including a Manchester United team – where marquee players like Lynn could easily earn double – or more – what they can pocket in the BBL.
Lynn’s agent is English based and is very much in-tune with the global cricket market outside the BBL.