Cricket Australia has downplayed reports that Michael Clarke and David Warner could be offered 50 million dollars contracts in a 'possible' global rebel cricket league, describing the claims as 'highly speculative' and pointed out that their top-ranked players almost earn as much as they would allegedly make in the rebel league.
Earlier in the week, Indian business conglomerate Essel Group reportedly tried to set up mysterious registration of a company- New Zealand Cricket Limited-and has already registered companies in Australia as well as in other Test playing nations, a move allegedly seen as an attempt to threaten the current cricket establishment.
Essel, which is owned by billionaire media baron Subhash Chandra, was the main promoter behind the ill-fated Indian Cricket League, the rebel predecessor to the Indian Premier League.
CA chairman Wally Edwards said that they were aware of the reports around a rebel league and they remain highly speculative, particularly given the proposed scale and complexity, News.com.au reported.
Edwards further said that Australia's cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of their top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in media reports.