BBL10: Full details of player contracts revealed as clubs eye big-name transfers
Some of the Big Bash League’s best players are up for grabs as the competition prepares for a huge shake-up. Check out who your club could poach.
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Jake Weatherald is shaping as a man in demand with Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers eyeing the batting dynamo as one of 40 Big Bash League free agents.
The Herald Sun understands that about 40 of the 128 contracts for domestic players are due to expire as list managers enter poaching season.
Weatherald’s 840 runs over the past two seasons stack up against the likes of brutal openers Chris Lynn (845) and Shaun Marsh (761).
The left-hander, 26, loves Geelong Cats and if he wants to play at Kardinia Park then Renegades’ offer might hold extra appeal.
The Gades have also made a major play to steal Perth captain Ashton Turner, where he would reunite with Marsh.
But it can be revealed that Turner, 28, is close to re-signing for a further two years at Perth.
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Scorchers have more than half their list unsigned entering Saturday night’s Grand Final against Sydney Sixers at the SCG.
Strike bowler Jason Behrendorff said he would sit down to renegotiate after the decider.
“I’ve been in Perth for the best part of 10 or 11 years now and been a contracted Scorcher for just about the whole time,” Behrendorff said.
“That (contract) will be something to look into once the season’s finished.”
Joel Paris could seek a fresh start after bowling just one over for the season although Fawad Ahmed will probably stay.
Sydney Thunder still hasn’t offered captain Callum Ferguson a new deal, despite the classy batsman belting 405 runs and proving athletic in the field in last week’s final.
Ferguson, 36, would be a shrewd addition for any club looking for a middle-order anchor and calm and measured leader.
Strikers, Renegades and Stars have just a couple of list spots open.
The Gades are desperate to retain boom kid Mackenzie Harvey and are also likely to promote cult hero Peter Hatzoglou to their primary list.
Stars have just re-signed Clint Hinchcliffe for two years, leaving only Nic Maddinson and Lance Morris out of contract.
They want to keep Maddinson, while a bonus list spot was opened up last month when Ben Dunk had his lucrative five-year contract torn up with a season and a half remaining.
Clubs are wary that they must keep a chunk of the $1.86 million salary cap free for next season’s inaugural overseas player draft.
Scorchers wicketkeeper Josh Inglis also falls out of contract and could be a perfect fit for the Stars.
But Inglis, 25, would command more than $150,000 per season given he is the BBL’s best gloveman and a proven matchwinner with the bat, either as an opener or middle-order star.
Only the marquee superstars, like Aaron Finch, earn salaries north of $200,000.
A long-term contract offer for Inglis would be laced with risk given he could be soon playing for Australia, and therefore unavailable for some BBL games.
Leading player managers can’t understand why Cricket Australia still hasn’t brought in match payments, given every club knows that 11 players will be playing in 14 games plus finals.
Instead BBL players bank their full contracts regardless of how many games they play.
This season Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Marcus Harris, Ashton Agar, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc were all paid their entire contracts without facing or bowling a single ball.
Paine (Hurricanes) and Harris (Renegades) did link up with their clubs after the Test summer, but failed to win selection in the final few games.
Dumped Test opener Joe Burns could be heavily chased, given he is expected to be available for the full season going forward and flourished in a few games as a middle-order finisher for Brisbane.
Burns, 31, is valued at around $120,000 per season.
Heat is chasing fringe Test bowler and Queenslander Michael Neser (Strikers) while Hurricanes are considering bringing all-rounder Beau Webster (Renegades) home.
Victorian legend Brad Hodge wants long-term contracts abolished, adamant players should be re-evaluated every one or two seasons to safeguard against complacency.
The Dunk deal turned disastrous for the Stars as the opener’s form steeply eroded shortly after the contract was inked.
Mitch Marsh (Scorchers) and Alex Carey (Strikers) recently penned four-year extensions.
Some at CA would like to see player movement open up although that isn’t a view shared by some franchises.
Renegades list boss Andrew Lynch and former coach Michael Klinger’s strategy was to focus on Victorian kids.
Zak Evans took 10 wickets in the final three games while Harvey and Jake Fraser-McGurk helped ice run chases late in the season.
Mitchell Perry only played one game for the Gades although Cricket Victoria holds high hopes for his future in red-ball cricket.
It will be en expensive finish to the summer for Will Sutherland, with Cricket Australia expected to hand down a $5000 fine for playing golf at Royal Melbourne with friends who were outside the biosecurity bubble last month.
Ben Laughlin, 38, took the catch of the season last week and is keen to play on.
The BBL’s leading wicket-taker of all-time (111) has received some interest to change clubs and would act as a quasi-bowling coach.
Heat has started talks with Marnus Labuschagne over a fresh contract with high performance boss Bennett King expected to finalise some contracts next week.
Swing bowler Xavier Bartlett, 22, re-signed with Brisbane last week and powerful batsman Max Bryant also put pen to paper in January.
FREE AGENTS AT YOUR CLUB
STRIKERS
Jake Weatherald
Michael Neser
Cameron Valente
HEAT
Joe Burns
Marnus Labuschagne
Jack Wildermuth
Morne Morkel
Ben Laughlin
Matthew Kuhnemann
James Bazley
HURRICANES
Jake Doran
James Faulkner
David Moody
Tim Paine
Nick Winter
RENEGADES
Beau Webster
Mackenzie Harvey
STARS
Ben Dunk (delisted)
Nic Maddinson
Lance Morris
SCORCHERS
Fawad Ahmed
Jason Behrendorff
Cameron Gannon
Cameron Green
Josh Inglis
Joel Paris
Ashton Turner
AJ Tye
Sam Whiteman
SIXERS
Jackson Bird
Ben Dwarshuis
Jack Edwards
Moises Henriques
Stephen O’Keefe
Mitchell Starc
THUNDER
Jason Sangha
Arjun Nair
Callum Ferguson
Brendan Doggett
*Some clubs are poised to announce re-signings next week
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