Cricket Australia (CA) has announced changes to its contracting rules for the Big Bash League (BBL), including the introduction of a supplementary list and an overseas player draft.
According to the details, the purpose of new changes is to prevent past issues, such as the unavailability of nationally-contracted players from impacting the success of the league.
Under the new rules, clubs will be able to sign nationally-contracted players outside of their salary cap for a standardized $50,000 deal, but if the player ends up playing, their $30,000 match fees and $50,000 deal will count towards the cap.
Clubs will also be allowed to bring money out of the following season’s cap to accommodate unforeseen circumstances such as the cancellation of matches due to Covid-19.
The league’s highest-paid overseas men’s players will receive $420,000 in the upcoming draft, while the top female players will receive $110,000.
Additionally, clubs will have to pay their top-six men’s earners a minimum of $200,000 each and their top-five female players $50,000 each.
Alistair Dobson, the BBL boss, said that the mechanisms would enable clubs to sign players even if they were unlikely or unavailable, thereby ensuring their readiness for the league.
“It is always our ambition for as many of those players to be part of the Big Bash League as possible,” Alistair Dobson added.
