sport news BBL under SIEGE as UAE Twenty20 league targets up to 15 Australian players ... trends now
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The under-threat Australian Big Bash League faces a crippling blow to its playing stock with a new UAE-based T20 cricket competition preparing to throw mountains of cash to poach Aussie players.
The inaugural UAE T20 League is set to be played in a window between January 6 and February 12 next year, in direct competition with the BBL.
Swashbuckling Aussie cricket star is at the top of the shopping lists of all new T20 franchises
The Australian T20 league is already facing a player drain with the Bangladesh Premier League and a new franchise-based tournament in South Africa to be played at the same time over summer.
Cashed up teams - some owned by IPL franchises - could be able to offer Australian players up to $700,000 for the tournament, compared to the top payment in the BBL of about $200,000.
Top targets include David Warner - who remains unsigned by a BBL franchise - and big-hitting former international Chris Lynn who was dumped by the Brisbane Heat and remains unsigned by other BBL teams.
After being cut by the Brisbane Heat, 'Lynnsanity' is eyeing off a move to the UAE competition
Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Todd Greenberg is in the process of speaking