David Warner on the verge of signing lucrative BBL deal; Steve Smith declines offer from the Sydney Sixers

Australian southpaw David Warner is reportedly on the verge of signing a mega deal with Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder. He will earn a whopping $340,000 for five games before he leaves for International duty.

Steve Smith, on the other hand, has decided to snub an approach by the Sydney Sixers to prioritize international cricket. Smith’s manager Warren Craig told the Herald and The Age on Thursday:

"At the moment, he has decided not to commit. There is a lot of cricket coming up,"

Smith was banned from participating in the playoffs of the 2021 Big Bash League. The former captain was available after Australia's three-match ODI series against New Zealand was indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19. Other state franchises, however, rejected the batter's proposal to turn up for the Sixers.

Australia are scheduled to play a three-match Test series as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) against South Africa following the T20 World Cup.

The brutal international workload has also prompted the Australian pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins to skip the tournament.

The BBL are under tremendous pressure following the inception of multiple T20 franchise leagues in South Africa and the UAE. The lucrative leagues are also set to be conducted in early 2023, clashing with the second half of the upcoming BBL season.

BBL desperately keen to hold onto their star players

Cricket Australia (CA) revamped the tournament with the introduction of the player draft, which prevents independent signings by the franchises. While over 80 overseas players have registered for the auction, the governing body fears a certain lack of star power.

One such name is Chris Lynn, the tournament's leading run-scorer, who was released by the Brisbane Heat. The 32-year-old has moved on by striking a deal with the Gulf Giants in the International League T20.

However, the opening batter is yet to avail a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board. There have been positive discussions over the volatile situation, with the prospect of Lynn playing in both tournaments in separate spells not being overruled.

It is to be noted that Lynn is not a centrally contracted player and could pocket up to $840,000 if he plies his trade in both the BBL and the ILT20.