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New Delhi: Five senior Australian players are reportedly unhappy with their new contracts offered by Cricket Australia (CA). Meanwhile, several Big Bash League (BBL) players are considering playing in other T20I competitions after CA’s plan to privatise their premier domestic tournament failed.

Following the failure of the proposal, pay renegotiations also stalled, which would have redressed the fact that the domestic cricketers have been earning between A$100-200,000 less than overseas players in the league in recent years.

According to a report from CODE Sports, several Australian players were disappointed with the initial CA contract offers that were tabled to them in the last week. This follows after The Age reported on Thursday that Pat Cummins had been offered A$4 million per year until 2029, most of which was reported to be guaranteed money.

Under the current Australian players’ pay deal between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association, which runs until mid-2028, more than 24 national contracts are given out by selectors for the 2026-27 financial year. The players receive contracts on the basis of importance and the number of matches they are likely to play in the cycle.

The lowest player earns a base of A$360,645. They also earn nearly $19,000 per Test appearance, nearly A$8000 per ODI and nearly A$5000 per T20I in match payments apart from the contract fee. CA only offered contracts to 21 players for 2026-27 so that fewer players could get a raise from the unchanged pool, despite the Aussies being set to play 17 Test matches in this financial year. They will only play nine ODIs and five T20I matches in the period.

BBL players unhappy with stalled privatisation proposal

Several Australian players are furious after the BBL’s privatisation proposal was stalled. They are frustrated at CA over the pay disparity for the Australian players and overseas cricketers.

After the introduction of the draft, the Platinum signing of A$420,000 meant that overseas players like Luke Wood and Mohammad Rizwan were paid significantly more than Australian players. The BBL players are now looking to play in other leagues around the globe.