Australia's Pat Cummins has dismissed reports claiming he and other senior players were considering skipping the Big Bash League in favor of South Africa's SA20 from 2028. Cummins took to X to clarify that the claims are untrue.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has firmly rejected reports suggesting he and several other senior players were contemplating jumping ship from the Big Bash League (BBL) to South Africa's new Super Apex Twenty20 (SA20) competition in 2028. According to media reports, Australian cricketers were reportedly considering requesting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Cricket Australia to participate in SA20 if their salaries were not increased.
The reports indicated that players could earn around AUD 1 million per season in the BBL and AUD 800,000 as pre-auction sign-on fees for The Hundred tournament in 2026. However, accepting these deals would reportedly have ruled them out of Australia's upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Cummins took to social media to clarify that the claims are false: "Everything you've written about me in this article regarding SA20 NOC and The Hundred offer is made up," he wrote, adding, "Everything you've written about me in this article regarding SAT20 NOC and The Hundred offer is made up" (he included an emoji for laughter).
The reports have emerged amid broader discussions about Australian player contracts and central deals. Earlier this month, George Bailey, Australia's chair of selectors, attempted to calm concerns by describing such developments as a routine part of negotiations.
Meanwhile, the national cricket team will return to international action with a three-match ODI series against Pakistan starting on May 30 in Rawalpindi. Mitchell Marsh will lead the side in Cummins' absence.
