Cricket: Glenn Maxwell calls the Big Bash draft the ‘shake-up’ it needed after two Covid-impacted years
Big money for overseas players and no more Covid quarantine could turn the Big Bash around fast according to one Aussie star.
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Glenn Maxwell has labelled the Big Bash draft the “shake-up” the tournament needed and dismissed any suggestion of player concern over larger cash sums for overseas stars who may not play the whole tournament.
New Zealand star Trent Boult and West Indian sensation Andre Russell were new inclusions among the final 12 “platinum” players who can be taken in the first round of Sunday’s inaugural draft, with clubs able to pay them the maximum contract of $340,000.
As part of their draft commitment, however, several players made it clear they will only be available for a fraction of the six-week tournament which clashes with new T20 leagues in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
Even those international players signed to a “gold” contract can receive up to $260,000, which is more than most local players, including Maxwell who is the captain the Melbourne Stars and available for every game, receives.
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Big Bash bosh Alastair Dobson said on Monday that rewarding local players was “top of the agenda” in ongoing discussions about the next pay deal.
Maxwell also said local talent would eventually benefit from the addition of the biggest names to a competition which was impacted badly by the global Covid-19 pandemic and would be played this year without the restrictions which had made it to hard for players to enjoy in recent years
“I think with the way that the Big Bash has happened the last two years with Covid and longer time in between games, forcing overseas players to do 14 days quarantine, there’s been obviously a big discrepancy in the quality of overseas players you can get and it was really hard to get that quality,” Maxwell said on Monday.
“Then obviously a few teams get depleted with Covid even in the tournament and the interest levels sort of drops off and I think with this draft being able to offer overseas a bit more incentive to come over it’s probably something that was needed.
“Yeah, the local talent might not immediately benefit out of it. But I think with this increased, I suppose attention and attraction to hopefully the BBL this year hopefully, at some stage it will be made up to us.
“But I think it was probably the shake-up it potentially needed after the last couple of years, I think. Yeah, we were affected badly by the pandemic, but hopefully, with the home T20 World Cup lead in, into the BBL, it might be jump-start that we need.”
Dobson said discussions around the next pay deal with the Australian Cricketers Association should see an increase to the salary cap for each BBL team, which would ensure players are better looked after.
“We are entering a period of negotiation in which you know the ability to grow and invest in the BBL is going to be a really important part of that,” he said.
“And the salary cap and renumeration for players will be an important consideration.
“We know that the local players in the BBL are important and they should be rewarded accordingly for what they bring to the competition.”
Dobson said calls for privatising the eight BBL teams, as per calls from players including Usman Khawaja to mirror the Indian Premier League as well as the two newest T20 competitions, was not as simple as it sounds, because profits from the Big Bash funnel in to grassroots cricket.
Maxwell said despite what seemed waning interest in the Big Bash from the biggest overseas players, the Covid-free version could open the doors again.
“I think coming to Australia for the summer, I think is still really appealing. I think I think guys love coming over here and they love Australia,” he said.
“So I think to have that with no quarantine no restrictions .... that was really draining the last few years. To be under that stress for the last few years playing a T20 domestic comp, it was hard work.
“Hopefully not have to deal with those stresses, again is something I’m really looking forward to and I’m sure the other players are too
Originally published as Cricket: Glenn Maxwell calls the Big Bash draft the ‘shake-up’ it needed after two Covid-impacted years
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