IPL: How Starc, Head, and other top talents have been ripped off by world’s richest cricket league

Australia’s Test superstars might be set to make big bucks at the mega IPL auction, but the reality is players are being scandalously ripped off tens of millions of dollars by Indian cricket.

Australia’s Test superstars might be set to make big bucks at this weekend’s mega IPL auction, but the reality is players are being scandalously ripped off tens of millions of dollars by Indian cricket.

In major US sporting leagues like the NBA, athletes are paid roughly 50 per cent of the sport’s overall revenue, but in the Indian Premier League, cricketers are getting less than 10 per cent of the total pie.

So while eyes pop when Mitchell Starc is handed a $4.43 million salary for seven weeks work, the Australian fast bowler might expect a contract up to five times that amount – taking him in excess of $20 million – if the IPL was ever prepared to offer cricketers a similar cut to what LeBron James is getting from the NBA.

In the latest example of India dictating everything that happens in world cricket, Channel 7’s commentary team has been left decimated by the timing of an auction which has been scheduled on day three and four of a first Test between India and Australia.

Mitchell Starc will earn $4.43 million salary for seven weeks of the IPL, but that figure should be so much higher. Picture: AFP

READ MORE: Australia v India, First Test: Everything you need to know

Fox Cricket commentator Michael Vaughan declared it “ridiculous” that the BCCI would sabotage the first Test with an auction that will drag Seven commentators Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer and Australian assistant coach Daniel Vittori away from Perth for what is supposed to be the centerpiece of the summer.

Test star Josh Hazlewood said he wouldn’t be distracted by an auction being staged in the middle of a match and defended the timing of the event.

“It doesn’t worry me one bit to be honest, they’ve got to have it at some point,” Hazlewood said.

“It’s probably the hype of the Test match as well, (makes) it a good time to have it. I’m not sure. Get some eyes on it … but it doesn’t affect me at all. I’ll just see what happens.”

Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood said he wouldn’t be distracted by the IPL auction, which will be held during the first Test, Picture: Getty Images

But no matter how many millions the likes of Hazlewood, Starc, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith might make this weekend, it’s only a fraction of what they deserve if the economics of player payments reflected cricket’s status as the world’s second most popular sport after football.

Even NRL, players earn roughly 41 per cent of rugby league’s revenue, while AFL stars earn 27 per cent of the pie.

It’s not only Australian stars being ripped off. Virat Kohli should be earning $30 million if cricket wages were reflective of the fact he is one of the world’s most followed and well known athletes.

Cricket is the No.2 most popular sport on the globe, and basketball comes in at No.8, yet NBA stars like Jayson Tatum are raking in $60 million US a year, highlighting how US sports simply do a better job than cricket in commercialising their sport.

NBA stars like LeBron James (pictured) and Celtics champion Jayson Tatum rake in a much higher salary. Picture: AFP

A high profile player agent, speaking anonymously, said cricket was being left behind.

“We have a long way to go with commercialisation and revenue share in cricket globally compared to other sports,” they said.

There has been no bigger victim of the ruthless power of the IPL than Channel 7 who have lost its two most high profile commentators for four out of the five days of the first Test.

“The IPL auction involves the world’s best coaches and analysts in the game, and we are privileged enough to have two of them on our broadcast all summer long,” a Channel 7 statement said.

Originally published as IPL: How Starc, Head, and other top talents have been ripped off by world’s richest cricket league