from ABC.net.au
Michael Clarke, David Warner reportedly offered mega contracts for breakaway rebel cricket league.
Michael Clarke and David Warner are reportedly being targeted by an Indian conglomerate that wants to offer the Australian cricket stars $50 million contracts to take part in a new rebel league that will rival the world governing body.
Essel Group, owned by billionaire Indian media mogul Subhash Chandra, this week confirmed its ambitions to launch an unnamed cricket venture, understood to be a new global Twenty20 tournament similar to Kerry Packer's creation of World Series Cricket.
The group, which was behind the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL), also reportedly wants to create a breakaway world governing body for the sport, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to investigate.
Essel, which owns the broadcaster Zee TV and its subsidiary Ten Sports, has in recent months registered companies in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland, with names that give the appearance of being cricket boards.
The Guardian reports the ICC is also looking into website domains including worldcricketcouncil.co.in and globalt20.com.
Reports are highly speculative, says Cricket Australia
As it stands, Australia's cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today's media reports.
Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards
Neither Clarke nor Warner have commented on the matter, but Cricket Australia has responded to the reports, saying it remains staunchly beside the ICC.
"We are aware of the reports around a rebel league and they remain highly speculative, particularly given the proposed scale and complexity," CA chairman Wally Edwards said in a statement.
"Australian cricket has never been in better health. Record crowds, television audiences, grassroots participation and commercial support continue to drive record revenue which means player payments have never been higher and will only increase.
"As it stands, Australia's cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today's media reports.
"But our pay structure is broader than that. It's about supporting professional cricket at both international and domestic level. The success of international cricket directly subsidises the wages of state cricketers. Any proposed rebel league would jeopardise that.
"Most of Australian cricket's revenue is reinvested back into the sport, strengthening it for the 1.1 million players at grassroots level around the country.
"We remain firmly focused on growing the game in Australia for fans and participants, while at international level we will be staunch in working with the ICC and other member countries to protect the interests of the game globally."
Michael Clarke, David Warner reportedly offered mega contracts for breakaway rebel cricket league.
Michael Clarke and David Warner are reportedly being targeted by an Indian conglomerate that wants to offer the Australian cricket stars $50 million contracts to take part in a new rebel league that will rival the world governing body.
Essel Group, owned by billionaire Indian media mogul Subhash Chandra, this week confirmed its ambitions to launch an unnamed cricket venture, understood to be a new global Twenty20 tournament similar to Kerry Packer's creation of World Series Cricket.
The group, which was behind the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL), also reportedly wants to create a breakaway world governing body for the sport, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to investigate.
Essel, which owns the broadcaster Zee TV and its subsidiary Ten Sports, has in recent months registered companies in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland, with names that give the appearance of being cricket boards.
The Guardian reports the ICC is also looking into website domains including worldcricketcouncil.co.in and globalt20.com.
Reports are highly speculative, says Cricket Australia
As it stands, Australia's cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today's media reports.
Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards
Neither Clarke nor Warner have commented on the matter, but Cricket Australia has responded to the reports, saying it remains staunchly beside the ICC.
"We are aware of the reports around a rebel league and they remain highly speculative, particularly given the proposed scale and complexity," CA chairman Wally Edwards said in a statement.
"Australian cricket has never been in better health. Record crowds, television audiences, grassroots participation and commercial support continue to drive record revenue which means player payments have never been higher and will only increase.
"As it stands, Australia's cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today's media reports.
"But our pay structure is broader than that. It's about supporting professional cricket at both international and domestic level. The success of international cricket directly subsidises the wages of state cricketers. Any proposed rebel league would jeopardise that.
"Most of Australian cricket's revenue is reinvested back into the sport, strengthening it for the 1.1 million players at grassroots level around the country.
"We remain firmly focused on growing the game in Australia for fans and participants, while at international level we will be staunch in working with the ICC and other member countries to protect the interests of the game globally."
