'He'll buy us pizza': No BBL for Cummins despite IPL windfall

Pat Cummins might shout the Sydney Thunder pizzas after his three-million-dollar Indian Premier League windfall, but they will be his only deliveries in this season's KFC Big Bash League.

After a three-team IPL bidding war last week ended at $AUD3.17m by the Kolkata Knight Riders to see Cummins become the most expensive overseas player in the tournament's history, Thunder coach Shane Bond has ruled out the possibility of the 26-year-old playing for his side this season.

The world's number-one ranked Test bowler, who has been a regular on the Thunder list in recent years since crossing from the Perth Scorchers after BBL03, could have joined Josh Hazelwood and Steve Smith in signing on for the back-end of the BBL09 season.

Instead, he'll take a break after Australia's three-game ODI tour of India in January, a decision understood to be endorsed by Cricket Australia following a jam-packed playing schedule in 2019.

"We're hoping he comes in and buys us pizza," Bond said of Cummins with a laugh after their abandoned game against the Adelaide Strikers. "I'll definitely be inviting him in (to the changerooms) for a few games – it's his shout.

"He's a great man, he is great around our team. He was great for us (in previous seasons) and we respected the fact that he needs a break.

"We just said if he wanted to come back he was always welcome here."

No fast bowler has bowled more overs in international cricket than Cummins this year, with the formerly injury-riddled paceman staying fit during back-to-back World Cup and Ashes campaigns leading straight into another busy home summer in all formats.

That season has now become even longer after adding the IPL to his busy schedule, but Cricket Australia has endorsed its players competing in the lucrative tournament ahead of next year's T20 World Cup.

"The good thing about a reward like that for Patty, he has worked really hard to get himself fit and playing in all three forms," David Warner, who was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for $2.2m, said on Sunday.

"Credit to him – now it's about going out there and we all have to perform."

In a staggering sign of Cummins' soaring value on the world stage, he's now behind only Virat Kohli ($3.4m) among the highest paid players in the IPL.

Glenn Maxwell was bought for $2.19m while Smith, like Warner, was retained for $2.2m. A host of other Australian players expected to contend for T20 World Cup spots, including Nathan Coulter-Nile ($1.63m) Marcus Stoinis ($980,000), Aaron Finch ($897,000), Kane Richardson ($816,000) and Alex Carey ($490,000), were also bought in the auction.

Cummins, from Western Sydney, has only ever played for the Thunder in the BBL and Bond hopes he can fit in another stint with the club in the future.

"We'll reach out to him next year and ask if he wants to play," the former New Zealand speedster said.

"Patty did it tough for a number of years, he worked his backside off and (now) he's the world's best fast bowler. He deserves everything he gets.

"He's dominated the world stage and if he can keep doing that, he can spend his money wisely."