Cricket’s T20 franchise competitions on unprecedented collision course

The race to sign players for competing Twenty20 cricket tournaments is heating up.

As previously reported, the UAE’s new ILT20 franchise competition is set to launch in January 2023 and be completed in mid-February.

Within the same timeframe, four other T20 tournaments are scheduled: Australia’s Big Bash League, the Bangladesh Super League, the Pakistan Super League, and the new Cricket South Africa T20 franchise league. This creates an unprecedented collision of high-reward franchise cricket.

Each of the tournaments claim that a key objective is to develop local talent, yet it is the overseas players who will attract the viewers. These top players come at a price and there are not enough of them.

Prior to a ball being bowled, ILT20 is aiming to be the second best after the Indian Premier League. If the measure is money, then it is making a handsome start. Rumors suggest that top players could be offered $450,000, via a combination of wage and loyalty bonus.

This compares with highest player incomes in the IPL of around $2 million per season, of $250,000 in the BBL, $200,000 in the PSL, and $160,000 in England’s Hundred competition.

Six teams will play in ILT20, all owned by Indian franchises, three of which are existing IPL owners. Each team will have 18 players, of whom 12 can be overseas, at least three must be UAE players, two from other associate countries, and one UAE under-23 player. A playing 11 will be allowed up to nine overseas players, plus one UAE, and one associate player. The salaries on offer fit into nine levels, from $40,000 for one player only, down to $10,000 for six players.

How the franchises will select and obtain their players is still to be finalised. It is understood that the original