International League T20 (ILT20) which will take place in the UAE is set to entice top-tier talent by offering the second most lucrative contracts in franchise cricket.
The league, sanctioned but not owned by the Emirates Cricket Board, can offer USD 450,000 per season to its top players which will be second only to India’s IPL.
The highest paid player in the IPL earns an astronomical salary of more than USD 2 million per season while the PSL pays USD 200,000 to the platinum category players for the season. The Hundred offers its best-paid player USD 164,000, and the most expensive overseas players in the BBL can make about USD 238,000 each year.
It is this kind of financial power that has led to speculation that players may skip their home leagues in order to play the ILT20 with David Warner the latest player.
The UAE T20 league includes six franchises with 18-man squads and is scheduled to be played across the UAE between January 6 and February 12th.
Three franchises in ILT20 have owners from IPL – Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals ( IPL teams recently purchased all the franchises in South Africa’s new league as well). The other three teams are owned by Lancer Capital, led by Avram Glazer, part owner of Manchester United, Indian business conglomerate Adani Group, and Capri Global.
What makes the soon-to-be-launched league stand out is the allocation of 12 slots out of 18 to international players. According to its rules, at least three members in a squad will need to be UAE players, two from other Associates, as well as one Under-23 UAE player.
A playing XI can have a maximum of nine overseas players along with at least one UAE and one Associate player.
Nine wage categories exist with a top category pay-out of USD 340,000 and the lowest slot of USD 10,000. A player can get a maximum salary of USD 450,000 if a team triggers a “loyalty bonus” clause.
With the preponderance of franchise cricket, more money seems to be the obvious answer for attracting the most talent.
