When you talk of T20 and league cricket, the first name that pops up is generally the Indian Premier League.
That tournament changed the course of modern cricket and paved the way for other franchise leagues, bringing in billions of dollars into the sport.
After almost two decades, the IPL remains at the pinnacle of cricket and is also one of the most valuable sports commodities on the planet.
But apart from IPL, there are other big and exciting leagues in the world. And the consensus is that while the IPL is the biggest, Australia's Big Bash League has consistently been the best league in cricket.
The Big Bash League has steadfastly eschewed big investments from overseas entities until now, retaining ownership of their product. The result is a high-quality tournament that focuses on creating a family-friendly environment at the ground and encourages grassroots participation.
The tournament runs for a big portion of the Australian summer – December to January – alongside international cricket. The tournament does struggle a bit when it comes to attracting top talent, as many of their own stars are busy with international cricket while overseas players also have commitments with other leagues that run at the same time.
This year, the situation is slightly different. Several Pakistan stars have suddenly been made available for the 2025/26 season. The country's own Pakistan Super League has shifted away from the January-February window, at least for now, and that has allowed star names to be picked for the next season of the Big Bash.
Star batter Babar Azam, fast-bowling ace Shaheen Afridi, and wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan were some of the big names picked up during the player draft last week.
The Big Bash operates on a player draft with salary caps. Players are divided into four categories – platinum, gold, silver and bronze.
The top tier platinum category players receive up to A$420,000 (US$270,000) depending on availability. Gold category players receive up to $190,000 followed by silver ($127,000) and bronze ($63,000).
Here, we take a look at the highest paid players in the Big Bash League after the latest player draft. All players in list are platinum category.
Highest-paid players in Big Bash League after draft
Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers) - Up to $270,000
Shaheen Afridi (Brisbane Heat) - $270,000
Mohammad Rizwan (Melbourne Renegades) - $270,000
Chris Jordan (Hobart Hurricanes) - $270,000
Sam Curran (Sydney Sixers) - $270,000
Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) - $270,000
Lockie Ferguson (Sydney Thunder) - $270,000
Finn Allen (Perth Scorchers) - $270,000
Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat) - $270,000
Jamie Overton (Adelaide Strikers) - $270,000
Tom Curran (Melbourne Stars) - $270,000
Luke Wood (Adelaide Strikers) - $270,000
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Play-off fixtures
Two-legged ties to be played November 9-11 and November 12-14
- Northern Ireland v Switzerland
- Croatia v Greece
- Denmark v Ireland
- Sweden v Italy
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
