Cricket Australia must make offer that David Warner can’t refuse to resuscitate Big Bash league

The fact Cricket Australia has failed to even make David Warner a BBL offer is embarrassing for the game. Now it must act to avoid an unmitigated disaster, writes Ben Horne.

David Warner in action for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

It’s time for Cricket Australia to stop dithering and make David Warner an offer he can’t refuse.

Revelations in News Corp on Wednesday that Warner has officially requested to play in the new UAE T20 League this summer at the same time as the Big Bash should come as no surprise to CA power brokers who have been warned for months that this powder keg crisis was coming.

TV executives, state officials, Players’ association chiefs Todd Greenberg and Shane Watson and Australian captain Pat Cummins have been on the record going back nearly 12 months in calling on CA to abolish Warner’s lifetime leadership ban.

The argument being that Warner should be welcomed back into the tent – not only as recognition he’s served his time and deserves a second chance – but also as the starting point of a broader tactical strategy to make him the face of a revved up Big Bash League at a time when his Test career is in its twilight and a new TV rights deal due.

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Should David Warner be the face of the BBL? Picture: Getty Images

The response from head office? Crickets.

The scars Warner feels from the way he was treated by administrators over sandpapergate are deep, and admittedly there is no guarantee he would play BBL even if CA go all out to convince him that he should.

But the fact CA has stumbled for so long and failed to at this point even make Warner a BBL offer is embarrassing for the game.

CA is an organisation that too often allows addressable issues to snowball into catastrophes because it seems too timid to say anything and too slow to act.

As the voice of Fox Cricket, Adam Gilchrist said on Wednesday it would be “commercial suicide” for Australian cricket to lose Warner to a direct BBL rival in the UAE.

CA can announce as many platinum overseas signings as it likes, but it doesn’t change the fact losing Warner would be an unmitigated disaster for the BBL.

Warner should have been the BBL’s no.1 target and priority and it’s hard to fathom why CA hasn’t taken more control over a situation where the writing was already on the wall.

It’s not too late though … yet.

CA must quickly get their act together, crunch the numbers and make an offer which recognises the fact that Warner would provide on a national scale for the Big Bash the box office package Lance Franklin brought to the Sydney Swans.

Lance Franklin was a major drawcard for the Sydney Swans in the AFL. Picture: Brett Hemmings/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

When the highest paid BBL player is going to be on $340,000, CA clearly can’t justify financially matching the $700,000 a year for three years Warner is reportedly being offered by the UAE.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t table a pragmatic package which would be hard to knock back.

How about $500,000 a year for five years to play in the BBL – with leadership ban overturned, and ambassadorial, broadcast and coaching elements written in as well?

An offer which provides recognition for Warner’s standing in the game and an opportunity for him to leave behind a legacy of having put back into the Australian game and resuscitated it at its time of need.

Surely that’s a sell that would present a win-win for both parties.

Of course, CA has the power to block Warner from going to the UAE at least until he is no longer centrally contracted. But to what end and on what basis if they haven’t – to this point – even made him an offer?

In CA’s defence, it does not want to pick a fight with Warner. Chief executive Nick Hockley spoke two weeks ago preaching Warner’s value.

The failure here has been inaction.

Instead of dodging questions about Warner’s leadership ban and dismissing it as “media discussion”, CA should have got on the front foot months ago, presented a plan and shaped the conversation.

Hockley to his credit has dedicated time his predecessors haven’t this year to trying to build a relationship with Warner.

But it doesn’t change the fact CA as a whole has been too timid to tackle the Warner leadership ban, either out of pride or for fear of public backlash.

Perhaps they feel the ban should stand? If so, it would be a relief just to hear them admit that.

On so many levels, this is a critical juncture for the game and CA needs to stand up, lead and take charge.

Say something, do something, or else watch the powder keg explode.

Gilly: CA’s line-in-the-sand moment amid Warner’s BBL snub plan

—Peter Lalor

Adam Gilchrist believes it will be “almost commercial suicide” for Cricket Australia to allow David Warner to play in the UAE this January.

News Corp revealed on Wednesday the highly-valued opener is looking to use the break in the international schedule caused by the cancellation of the South African tour to play in the UAE T20 league.

Cricket Australia had hoped its international cricketers would make themselves available for its domestic competition but Warner is not contracted to a team and has not played in the BBL for a decade.

Gilchrist says it is a line-in-the-sand moment for Cricket Australia in the battle between club and country.

“Cricket Australia really have to be careful here, I think it is almost commercial suicide for them to allow a player like him to go head to head up against their own competition,” the former wicket keeper told Gerard Whately on SEN after the story broke.

“They can’t force David Warner to play the BBL, I understand that, but to let him then go off, or another player, let’s not just single out Warner because there will be other players on the radar.

David Warner is poised to snub the BBL to play in the UAE.

“It’s all part of this global dominance these IPL franchises are starting to create given they own a number of teams in the Caribbean Premier League, they own all six teams in the new South African tournament that is coming up, which will lock horns for commercial time and space with the Big Bash.”

It is understood Warner is in high level negotiations over the move which is a blow to the BBL which had hoped to attract the centrally-contracted Australian players to the tournament in that month.

A decision may be made by the end of the week as the tournament is pressing players to sign preliminary contracts.

Gilchrist said Warner had the right to choose.

“We can’t question David Warner’s commitment to Australian cricket over the years, so it will be a more challenging situation,” he said.

“If he rides off into the sunset and says ‘sorry Cricket Australia I’m just going to be a gun for hire for my Indian franchise team in various franchise tournaments’ you can’t question him on that, that’s his prerogative and he has done everything he needs to get that profile and market value.

“It’s the new younger player that starts to make those noises where it will be really challenging perhaps. “

Gilchrist also believes the time is approaching where players will have a club contract but freelance for their country.

“The first example (could be) where David Warner doesn’t sign a contract with Cricket Australia at all, he just plays for a match fee,” he said.

“He goes where he wants but says I’m available for every Test match, for every ODI for every T20 international. I’ll be there for you in national colours but other than that I’m going to play for my club, my franchise cricket whenever I want to knowing that none of those big tournaments will be clashing with international cricket.

“That might be an opportunity to explore.

“It’s a tough one.”

“It’s getting a little bit dangerous the grip it (IPL) is having to monopolise that ownership of the players and their talents and where they can and can’t play.

“Maybe it is the first step in the direction.”

BBL bosses had been hopeful most Australian players would be available.

The UAE league, which has heavy investment from IPL franchises, is understood to be offering three-year contracts worth $700,000 a year for participation in the new competition. The left-hander would make a fraction of that in the BBL and would not be able to captain a franchise because he has a lifetime ban, but his leadership skills are respected overseas.

Warner led Hyderabad to their maiden title in 2016 and was highest run scorer in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

He was also player of the tournament for Australia in its successful 2021 T20 World Cup campaign.

Warner is one of the highest profile T20 cricketers in the world, but has rarely played BBL, does not have a contract with any BBL club and has no duties with the national or state teams in January after South Africa cancelled its ODI matches to avoid a clash with its own T20 league expected to begin around the same time.

Warner’s Delhi Capitals owns a side in the UAE league and like the other Indian-owned franchises has been given permission to draft four of its contracted players.

As he does not have a BBL contract it is hard to see how there can be any objection to him playing in the UAE, but it is a blow to the organisers of the BBL who are trying desperately to attract big names to the embattled tournament.

His move may fast forward tying BBL availability to national contracts – a move which could force players close to the end of their careers to make an early call on the future.

David Warner in action for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The BBL is in competition with the UAE and South African tournaments which are both shorter than the lengthy Australian competition, which was once a high priority for overseas cricketers but has slipped in standing.

The tournament is offering a select band of overseas players a $340,000 contract if they enter a new four-tiered draft system, but expectations are that those cricketers will leave the tournament early to join the UAE or South African leagues.

Cricket’s executives are meeting this week to sign off on a Future Tours Program which is expected to give a 10-week clear window to the IPL for all players, while Australia and England will not schedule international cricket for a month to protect their two local competitions, the BBL and the Hundred.

South Africa’s decision to abandon the ODIs in January stunned world cricket because it means the country will miss automatic entry in the 2023 World Cup in India.

That development was soon followed by Ben Stokes’ announcement that he too was turning his back on the tournament. The star of England’s 2019 victory said three formats was too much cricket and he would no longer play the one-day game.

Originally published as Cricket Australia must make offer that David Warner can’t refuse to resuscitate Big Bash league