Big Bash icon Chris Lynn signs with Adelaide Strikers in unprecedented deal

Former Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn, one of the Big Bash League’s biggest stars, has signed with a rival club in a landmark move.

Former Brisbane Heat skipper Chris Lynn. Picture: Lachie Millard

Former Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn, the highest run-scorer in the Big Bash League’s history, has signed for the Adelaide Strikers after agreeing to an unprecedented deal with Cricket Australia.

Lynn will be available for 11 of the Strikers’ 14 home and away fixtures this summer after reaching a compromise with CA that allowed him to compete in a high-paying overseas domestic league during the BBL window.

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After the Heat elected not to renew his $200,000 contract earlier this year, Lynn signed for the United Arab Emirates’ newly-founded International League T20, which reportedly offered players up to $650,000 for five weeks’ work.

The Queenslander was unveiled as one of UAE competition’s 21 marquee recruits, casting doubt over whether he would participate in this summer’s Big Bash League.

But despite not holding a CA or state contract since 2019, Lynn is required under the ICC’s guidelines to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the home board, who needed to give him clearance to play overseas during the home summer.

As part of the landmark deal with CA, Lynn will miss the opening matches of the Gulf Giants’ season, which gets underway on January 6, copping a substantial financial windfall in the process.

Lynn has been permitted to join the ILT20 from January 20; his final Strikers match before jetting out of the country will be against his former club Brisbane at Adelaide Oval on January 14.

“Each matter regarding a release for overseas competitions is subject to the individual’s circumstances,” a CA spokesperson said in a statement.

“Our guiding principle remains the prioritisation and protection of Australia’s domestic summer of cricket and the interests of the game overall.”

The 32-year-old will be one of many high-profile Big Bash cricketers to travel overseas midway through the tournament to join the ILT20 or South Africa’s privately-owned domestic competition.

However, several of these players will be replaced by Australian Test stars, such as Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey, following the highly-anticipated New Year’s Test against South Africa.

Chris Lynn of the Heat. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Lynn has accumulated a record 3005 BBL runs at 34.54 with an imposing strike rate of 148.83 since the competition’s inauguration in 2011.

He was not only one of the Heat’s foundation players, winning a BBL title with the Brisbane-based club in 2013, but also served as captain for several years.

The Heat effectively sacked Lynn after his underwhelming 2021/22 campaign, where he registered 215 runs in 12 matches at 17.91.

But the powerful right-hander has been in impeccable form this winter, recently smacking an unbeaten 113 from 57 balls in the T20 Blast to equal his highest individual score and set up a Northamptonshire victory.

“I’ll be coming down to Adelaide fit and strong and ready to score a heap of runs and even more importantly, put on a show for the fans, who are the backbone of the Adelaide Strikers,” Lynn said.

“It always such a great atmosphere walking into Adelaide Oval, and not only that but walking over the bridge on game day, the atmosphere in the city is great. I know the fans will be out in force this summer.

“I’d like to thank Cricket Australia for how cooperative they’ve been as well as the Adani group from the Emirates, they’ve been really proactive in understanding the situation.

“Without those guys and CA working together it wouldn’t be possible. I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys.”

According to cricket.com.au, Lynn is tipped to earn a six-figure sum for his brief Big Bash stint.

“We all know the qualities that Chris Lynn brings to the table,” Strikers head coach Jason Gillespie said in a statement.

“He is a proven matchwinner, an experienced leader and a great character to have around the group.

“His record speaks for itself. We’re thrilled to have him and know he can play an important role for us this summer.”

JUST IN: Chris Lynn has joined the @StrikersBBL

Adelaide have confirmed he will be available for 11 of their 14 regular season matches. #BBL12pic.twitter.com/uynSTE0MFB

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) August 24, 2022

Chris Lynn is a great signing for Strikers.

Those short boundaries at Adelaide will be under serious threat and he leaves for UAE around the time Travis Head and Alex Carey will return.

Win-win.

— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) August 25, 2022

Lynn’s signature is a much-needed boost for the Big Bash League, which came under heavy scrutiny last summer for its lacklustre talent.

CA is desperate to revive interest in the T20 competition, which struggled to capture the public’s attention last season, ahead of the broadcast rights negotiations.

Earlier this year, The Daily Telegraph revealed that free-to-air broadcaster Channel 7 had launched Federal Court action against CA in a bid to terminate its TV rights deal.

According to the News Corp report, Seven is adamant the cricketers that featured in last summer’s BBL were not of a high enough quality for the competition to meet the standard provisions stipulated in CA’s TV rights contract.

However, the Big Bash has already secured the services of former South African captain Faf du Plessis, New Zealander paceman Trent Boult and Australian superstar David Warner for this summer’s tournament.

Adelaide will look to bolster its squad at Sunday’s inaugural BBL Draft, where the club will be hoping to retain Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan.

“Most of the players that are in that platinum range are only available for eight or nine games because they’re off to either South Africa or the UAE,” Strikers performance analyst Jarrod Harkness told cricket.com.au this week.

“So basically, if you are going to take a platinum level player, then you’re looking at someone who is only going to be here for the first half of the tournament.

“And as we’ve seen over many years, Rashid’s one of the best players, if not the best player in the world.

“So given those other high-quality players are only here for half the tournament, the same as Rash, he’s definitely someone that we would be very keen to have here again.”

The Strikers’ season gets underway at Adelaide Oval on December 14, facing the Sydney Sixers.

Originally published as Big Bash icon Chris Lynn signs with Adelaide Strikers in unprecedented deal