Cummins and Head were offered $10m to play franchise cricket. Cricket Australia admits it’s a ‘concern’

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Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg admits he is concerned about the prospect of the country’s top stars being offered lucrative franchise deals and fears the next generation may find it difficult to resist such offers.

This masthead revealed earlier this month that Test captain Pat Cummins and star batter Travis Head were informally offered deals worth close to $10 million a year to quit Australian cricket and play in overseas Twenty20 franchise leagues full-time.

The approaches, made by an IPL ownership group, were politely declined by the pair, who remain central figures in Australia’s national teams.

This masthead also reported this week that Australian limited overs star Jake Fraser-McGurk was approached by the GMR Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate that co-owns the Delhi Capitals, in February 2024 to play for their franchises. Fraser-McGurk, 23, also turned down the offer.

Similar discussions have been bubbling away for years behind the scenes but, as it stands, no high-profile Australian player has signed an exclusive franchise contract.

With Cricket Australia exploring the potential of privatising the Big Bash League, Greenberg said the issue was part of a broader challenge that could reshape the sport’s landscape.

Pat Cummins and Travis Head declined $10 million offers to play year-round franchise cricket.

“I think it’s a realistic concern for everybody that players have leverage and choice to ply their trade all over the place,” Greenberg told reporters at the SCG on Saturday ahead of the third ODI between Australia and India.

“Every player I talk to, priority A is to play for their country … and try to win World Cups for their country. That’s a really important marker but – and there’s a big but here – the next generation is really what I’m focused on.

“It’s not this current crop that I’m as I’m concerned about, it’s the next generation of players. We’ve got to make sure we find ways for them to stay in Australian cricket, still generate central contracts and still want to play for their country in the same way generations [before them] have.

“That challenge is on us. We’ve got to thread the needle. I think we’re doing that at the moment, but we can’t just sit back and watch it unfold on us.”

Jake Fraser-McGurk in action for Australia last year.

In light of recent high-profile BBL signings such as Pakistan’s Babar Azam (Sixers) and India’s Ravichandran Ashwin (Thunder), Greenberg said he wanted the competition to feature the world’s best players.

“There’s one thing the best leagues have all over the world … they have access to the best players and the BBL should be no different to that,” Greenberg said. “That costs money, because players have leverage and opportunities to play all over the world.

“I think that work [on privatisation] is ongoing and that’s one of the primary drivers why we would consider bringing private capital into the BBL so that we can compete on the global stage.”

Greenberg also endorsed CA’s decision to let Steve Smith spend more time at his new base in New York rather than play the opening two rounds of the Sheffield Shield.

Smith, who returned home last week, said his break after the Hundred had refreshed him ahead of the Ashes, which begins on November 21 in Perth. He will play two Shield games for NSW, starting with next week’s fixture against Queensland at the Gabba.

“It’s not just about Steve, it’s about all our players,” Greenberg said. “It’s all ultimately about making sure when they come up for the first Test, those who are playing are ready.

“Giving him as much time away from cricket is as important as the time in preparation, and ultimately, the proof’s in the pudding when they play. But I think Steve’s been afforded the right to take that break and then come in fresh.”