Hurt by UAE's ILT20, BBL to consider contract changes to avoid overseas stars' departure
Cricket Australia and the Big Bash League (BBL) are set to mull solutions for the overseas players' exodus to rival leagues at key stages of the competition.
Six key players will miss the finals (the last four matches) of the 2023-24 season to participate in the UAE's International League T20. These are Brisbane Heat's Sam Billings and Colin Munro, Perth Scorchers' Laurie Evans, Sydney Sixers' James Vince, and Adelaide Strikers' Jamie Overton and Adam Hose.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the stakeholders are considering contractual changes and the discussions will begin after the season's final on Wednesday, January 24. The report said the franchises were aware of the players' availability when they were signed in the draft. Recent decisions with players have been positive too.
"We have seen this year the role overseas players continue to play in the BBL," the league's General Manager Alistair Dobson told AAP. "They have been great performers on the field, they are fan favourites and the broadcasters love them."
"However, we need to continue to evolve our competition and make our competition appealing to the players to come and play in the BBL. And ideally, [to] have them play as many games as possible has been and will continue to be a clear focus for us," he added.
The ILT20 offers more lucrative contracts and the teams are often affiliated with the IPL. But more importantly, these contracts are signed before the draft, where, like the IPL auction, there's no guarantee that a player would be picked up.
The concerns have been brought up after a bumper season for the BBL where the crowds came to ground in pre-pandemic numbers.
"Absolutely the worst time to be leaving" - Laurie Evans on the BBL
Evans, one of the best performers of the season and a highly popular one due to his unbridled big-hitting, recently expressed his emotions about leaving the Scorchers just before the big games.
"All the way through my career I've made a name for myself in finals and big games," Evans said on Tuesday night (via ESPNcricinfo). "It's absolutely the worst time to be leaving, but I've got a job to do and a family to feed. It's just the nature of the beast."
The Heat and the Sixers will compete in the first Qualifier on Friday, January 19.