BCCI okays $400,000 sign-on fee for Warne
India - Dec 14, 2007
The fee quoted for Warne is the signing amount for him to be part of the player pool from which franchises will bid for the rights to employ players within their ranks. With Brian Lara reportedly being paid US$1 million to appear in the Indian Cricket League, and the market heating up over the two rival leagues, Warne and similar big-ticket signings could rope in well in excess of US$1 million, sources revealed.
The second-highest signing-on fee has, not surprisingly, been paid to Glenn McGrath, whose nifty line-and-length bowling see him join up for US$350,000. Stephen Fleming, whose agents flirted with the ICL but in the end held back - to the extent that Fleming was one of those present at the IPL’s launch - also nets US$350,000.
Mohammad Yousuf, who had reportedly signed with the ICL before being lured away by the Pakistan board - which made no effort to stop Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq or Imran Farhat from joining the unrecognised league - has signed up with the IPL for US$330,000. A surprise entrant in the top five - and at the moment the list does not include current Australian or Indian cricketers - is Shoaib Malik, who is guaranteed US$300,000.
The ICL, which is nearing the end of its inaugural edition, will hand out approximately Rs 18 crore [approx. US$4.5 million] in total prize-money for its 16-day tournament.
The fees have been decided for only 34 of the 49 cricketers signed up by the IPL, sources said, and, of these, only 11 have received [partial] advance payments. The only player to receive payment in full is Yousuf, not surprising given that he was once a dead certainty to join the ICL. It is understood that McGrath is among those who have been given a sizeable advance.
The 29 others who have received contracts: [Amounts in US$]
Australia:
Justin Langer - 175,000
Sri Lanka:
Farveez Maharoof - 150,000
Kumar Sangakkara - 250,000
Mahela Jaywardene - 50,000
Muttiah Muralitharan - 250,000
Sanath Jayasuriya - 250,000
Nuwan Zoysa - 100,000
Dilhara Fernando - 150,000
Chaminda Vaas - 175,000
Lasith Malinga - 200,000
Pakistan:
Mohammad Asif - 225,000
Shahid Afridi - 225,000
Shoaib Akhtar - 225,000
Younus Khan - 225,000
West Indies:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - 175,000
New Zealand:
Daniel Vettori - 225,000
Jacob Oram - 200,000
Scott Styris - 150,000
Brendon McCullum - 175,000
South Africa:
Loots Bosman - 150,000
