Aussie superstars set for massive windfall at landmark Women’s Premier League
Ellyse Perry is now in the veteran category of international cricket but her popularity in India could see her topping the WPL draft according to the current T20 player of the year.
Cricket
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Women’s cricket’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is set to launch next week, with every single contracted player in Australia nominating for an auction that could change lives.
Female players could command in excess of $500,000 for a couple of weeks’ work, with Australian superstars Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris, Meg Lanning and Darcie Brown tipped to be among the most sought after international players.
Women’s cricket pioneer Marg Jennings told the story at her induction into the Australian cricket hall of fame of how she had to pay to play, but more than 40 years on, some stars may now have their annual reward from the game (CA contract plus overseas leagues) topping seven figures.
Five overseas players can be picked up by each of the five Indian franchises, meaning several Australians should be big winners in a mystery auction expected to take place at some stage next week.
News Corp understands all of Australia’s contracted players plus three quarters of the Australian domestic scene have entered their names into an auction where players were asked to nominate one of three figures as a base price for prospective bidders.
Australia’s T20 team flew to South Africa on Tuesday night for the World Cup, but the big talking point amongst players is who might create history at an auction which shapes as a landmark moment for the women’s game.
“I didn’t put my nomination in until quite late, purely because I didn’t know what to set my base price to,” the world’s no.1 ranked T20 player, Tahlia McGrath said.
“There was a lot of chatting to others, seeing what they did, a lot of umming and ahhing. I just wanted to be part of it. I just wanted to get my foot in the door.
“Hopefully there’s a bit of interest and a couple of teams are interested in me.”
McGrath has nominated Harris and Gardner as her two stand out predictions to go No.1 due to their brutal all-round ability in the T20 format.
But McGrath’s timing is impeccable having just been crowned the ICC’s T20 player of the year.
It would be an incredible story should Harris finish high on the bidding, given she was overlooked for a Cricket Australia contract last April.
Harris laughed off talk about her own chances, nominating a smokey of her own.
“I think someone like Darcie Brown as a point of difference with her express pace. Depending on how they want to set their team up,” Harris said.
“Then outside of that, you’ve got, Pez (Perry) and Midge (Healy, surely they’re going top two.
“Everyone loves Pez in India and Midge is pretty much the same. Even from the commercial point of view, those two will get picked up.
“Skill wise, I won’t say no to getting picked No.1! I’ll take it. But no expectations there.”
Young Australian ODI debutant Phoebe Litchfield could be an attractive prospect to Indian bidders, while recently retired Australian great Rachael Haynes has ruled out nominating for the auction.
Young spinner Alana King played an exhibition T20 tournament in India last year as well as experiencing 40,000 plus crowds for Australia’s internationals against India in December.
King believes the women’s game is on the verge of something massive.
“It’s going to be life changing for a fair few players. We don’t know what money is going to be thrown around, but it’s going to be significant money that people can earn,” King said.
“It’s going to open a lot of windows for a lot of players.
“It’s incredible the amount of money that can get thrown at women’s cricket and it’s a massive stepping stone in right direction. The women’s game is deserving … and that platform is very exciting.”