BBL scraps overseas draft, opens door for bigger deals for top stars

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) The Big Bash League (BBL) is set for a major change in its player contracting system, with Cricket Australia (CA) scrapping the overseas draft and giving clubs greater freedom to spend money on their top players.

The new rules will come into effect on Thursday, just six weeks before the start of the Women’s Big Bash League season. The changes come after several months of discussions between CA, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and the BBL clubs.

The removal of the overseas draft could lead to bigger contracts for some of the world’s leading T20 players. England Test captain Ben Stokes and New Zealand batter Finn Allen are among the overseas players who could benefit from the new system. Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who is currently without a BBL contract after leaving Melbourne Renegades, could also attract significant interest.

Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is another high-profile player who is out of contract with Perth Scorchers. However, his availability for the upcoming BBL could be affected by his Test commitments, which may reduce his chances of securing a major deal, according to Cricinfo.

Under the previous system, every BBL team had to sign at least two overseas players. At least one of them had to be on a minimum contract worth AU$300,000, with the top Platinum category worth AU$420,000.

Those rules have now been removed. Clubs will not be required to sign an overseas player and can decide for themselves whether an overseas signing is the right option for their squad.

The changes are also aimed at giving leading Australian players a greater share of the salary cap. Each BBL team will now have to pay only three marquee players more than AU$212,242 each. Previously, six players were required to earn above that amount.

The total salary cap remains at AU$3.18 million. The top six earners must still receive a combined amount of at least AU$1.7 million, but clubs now have more freedom to concentrate a larger portion of their budget on their biggest stars.

The same approach will be used in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). Teams will not have to sign an overseas player, while three marquee players must earn more than AU$53,000 each from the AU$772,000 salary cap. The top five earners must collectively receive more than AU$439,000.

BBL boss Alistair Dobson said the changes were designed to give clubs more flexibility as the player market continues to change.

“The market for players continues to change, and the BBL and the WBBL have always been prepared to make adjustments as required,” Dobson said as quoted by Cricinfo.

He added that clubs should have the freedom to decide how much value they place on domestic and overseas players.

CA has also introduced a new salary-cap concession for clubs that lose highly paid contracted players through a trade or mutual release. The concession, which will be funded by CA, will be worth around AU$52,000, equivalent to a minimum BBL contract. To qualify, the player’s new contract must be worth at least AU$360,000.

There will also be stricter rules for local replacement players. A contracted player who is ruled out before the tournament can still be replaced. During the season, however, a club can sign a local replacement only after losing three contracted players.

There is one exception. A team that loses both of its nominated wicketkeepers can sign a replacement wicketkeeper even if it has not lost three players overall.

The changes come as CA and the ACA continue separate discussions over a new memorandum of understanding, with the current agreement running until 2028. The negotiations are also important for CA’s plans to move towards greater private investment in the BBL.

–IANS

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