Record Big Bash League run-scorer Chris Lynn has said the competition’s salary cap should be doubled to keep Australian talent at home and bring new talent to the league.
“It definitely has to double, in my eyes, if the Big Bash are to compete with the likes of the Emirates league and the South African league,” Lynn told The Age and Herald.
Chris Lynn during his Brisbane Heat days.Credit:Getty Images
“Put yourself in someone like Andre Russell’s shoes, who can go to the Emirates or go to South Africa and different leagues, with less tax in certain countries.”
Lynn will head to Abu Dhabi next month to prepare for the Abu Dhabi T10 league, where he will captain Team Abu Dhabi as an icon player. The Abu Dhabi T10 has been running since 2017 and Lynn last played in it in 2019.
On his return to Australia, Lynn will play in the BBL with the Adelaide Strikers but will miss the competition’s finals series, should the Strikers qualify, when he switches to the new T20 league in the United Arab Emirates in January. The move was approved by Cricket Australia.
″I’m very happy with the way it’s worked out with the three parties agreeing to everything that’s going on,” Lynn said.
Lynn, who is not a Cricket Australia-contracted player, said the circumstances of contracted players were harder to navigate.
“It’s gonna be a little bit more work and be a bit tricky in some circumstances, like with Dave Warner, who is Cricket Australia-contracted, but my scenario is totally different and every player’s is going to be different,” he said.
“But, you know, the world’s changing, and we’ve seen that over the last couple of days with the Pat Cummins sponsorship stuff. I think the biggest thing is that we’ve got to do is keep up to speed with it and treat every case individually.”
David Warner signed a two-year deal to return to the BBL with the Sydney Thunder.Credit:Getty
Warner quashed speculation that he would join the new UAE T20 League after signing a two-year deal to return to the BBL with the Sydney Thunder.
Lynn said could the UAE league could establish a fan base with UAE-based expats from countries such as the United Kingdom and South Africa.
“With the UAE league, it’s the first year of it. I’m definitely going in with an open mind, but you know that the phrase has been thrown out there that it’s a mini IPL [Indian Premier League] and I hope it is,” he said.
Lynn said he would miss the Australian fans and praised the BBL for creating family-friendly crowd experiences.
“That’s one thing the Big Bash has done so well, it’s a family experience … to make an experience off the field for kids to remember as well,” he said.
Lynn signed with the Strikers in the BBL after the Brisbane Heat decided against offering him a new contract.
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