Photo Credit: Melbourne Stars
The Big Bash Leagues will introduce major changes to player contracting structures that will ensure the competitions remain globally competitive and an attractive proposition for the world’s best T20 players.
The new rules are underpinned by an uplift in total payment pools for Clubs and include the introduction of minimum marquee player requirements, a WBBL Overseas Player Draft, and mechanisms to support BBL clubs signing Cricket Australia contracted players.
Through these new rules and player payment uplifts, the best local and overseas talents are set to earn more in the Big Bash Leagues than ever before.
The changes have come about as part of the new five-year MOU between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA).
As announced earlier this month, the Big Bash Leagues will see a significant uplift in the Total Payment Pools, with the Weber WBBL doubling to $732,624 and KFC BBL increasing to $3million from $1.9million in BBL|12.
Top WBBL players now have the potential to earn over $100,000 (plus superannuation) per season, with the average retainer doubling from approximately $26,900 to close to $54,200 and the minimum retainer increasing by 30%.
In the BBL, top players can earn over $400,000; average retainers will increase by more than 50% in 2023-24 to approximately $167,000, with the minimum retainer to increase by more than 20%.
In a significant evolution for the League, each Club will be required to include a minimum number of players above a designated ‘marquee’ salary threshold, requiring top players individually and collectively to be paid designated minimum amounts. BBL lists must include a minimum of six players signed to retainers of $200,000 or above, and WBBL lists a minimum of five players earning $50,000 or more.
These requirements are designed to ensure the Big Bash remains in step with Leagues around the world and continues to attract the best local and international talent, and can be any combination of domestic, overseas or CA contracted players.
Following the success of the inaugural draft, the BBL Overseas Player Draft will return for KFC BBL|13 and in an exciting development for the women’s competition, Weber WBBL|09 will welcome its first Overseas Player Draft. Through the respective Drafts, Clubs will be able to sign up to three primary overseas players to their squad lists.
KFC BBL|13 and Weber WBBL|09 Overseas Player Draft salary bands:
| Band | BBL | WBBL |
| Platinum | $420k | $110k |
| Gold | $300k | $90k |
| Silver | $200k | $65k |
| Bronze | $100k | $40k |
Nomination and draft details, including the selection order, will be announced in due course.
To maximise the opportunity of Cricket Australia (CA contracted) players participating in the BBL, mechanisms have been introduced to support Clubs signing contracted players while acknowledging their varying availability.
Some player payment relief will be provided to Clubs that sign national players who are expected to have limited availability for the coming season.
Clubs will also be permitted to bring forward a portion of their total payment pool from the following season to pay national players if their availability changes.
CA contracted players who at the time of the contracting period are not expected to be available for the BBL season can be signed on a Marquee Supplementary List. These players can be moved to the Primary List of 18 should they become available throughout the season. Clubs will be limited to two players on their Marquee Supplementary list.
Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch welcomed the introduction of the WBBL Overseas Player Draft.
“For almost a decade, the WBBL has been the leading women’s domestic cricket competition in world, and this will help to ensure that we remain in that position.
“As we saw in BBL|12, the overseas player draft is a wonderful mechanism for every team to attract world class talent from across the world to compliment the outstanding talent that exists in Australian cricket already.”
Name of Author: Melbourne Stars
Melbourne Stars are a Twenty20 cricket franchise based in Melbourne, Victoria, competing in Australia’s Big Bash League. The team wears a green uniform and plays its home matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
