Pat Cummins & Travis Head Snub $10 Million IPL Offer, Stay Loyal To Australia

Australian cricket stars Pat Cummins and Travis Head reportedly turned down a jaw-dropping $10 million offer from an IPL franchise to quit international cricket and play exclusively in global T20 leagues. The move highlights the growing tension between franchise cricket riches and national loyalty.

T20 franchises often have stakes in multiple leagues worldwide, including South Africa’s SAT20, the Caribbean Premier League, America’s Major League Cricket, and the UAE’s International League T20. Having top players available across these tournaments is extremely lucrative. However, the Aussie duo stuck to their guns, prioritising the national team over quick money.

The revelation came amid talks between Cricket Australia and stakeholders on privatising the Big Bash League. Cummins and Head are associated with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), though it’s unclear whether it was SRH or another franchise that made the offer.

T20 cricket’s financial allure is strong. South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen retired from international cricket to focus on T20 leagues, while England’s Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler reportedly received similar mega offers in 2023, but refused.

Klaasen recently highlighted the dilemma players face: “If they don’t take care of the international players, they will go out and go to the leagues to make some extra cash. If you look at the Aussies and the England boys, they get looked after well, so they don’t need to go around the world and go play all these leagues.”

Despite being national icons, Australian cricketers earn far less than stars from other sports. NBA player Josh Giddey earns $38 million, NFL champion Jordan Mailata $34 million, and F1 prodigy Oscar Piastri $40 million—highlighting the stark pay gap in Australian sports.