Big Bash star Lynn signs with UAE T20 league

The Big Bash League's all-time leading run-scorer Chris Lynn has been named as one of the inaugural UAE T20 league's marquee players.

The former Brisbane Heat slugger was among 21 overseas stars announced by the International League T20 (ILT20) on Monday evening, featuring alongside T20 globetrotters Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.

Lynn, who parted ways with the Heat at the end of last season after 102 appearances for the club, had been linked with a move to the Adelaide Strikers for BBL|12.

It's unclear how Lynn's announcement as a marquee player affects any such deal but his participation in the ILT20 would need to be cleared by Cricket Australia via a 'No Objection Certificate', as per ICC rules, which requires a player's participation in a foreign domestic competition to be cleared by their home board.

While the 32-year-old has struggled to find consistency in the Big Bash over recent seasons, he increased his value as a free agent with a scintillating T20 Blast tournament in England over the past few months with two centuries and 516 runs at a strike rate of almost 160 in 10 matches for Northamptonshire.

Top players in the UAE league are set to pocket up to A$650,000 for the tournament, which is significantly more than Lynn could earn as a domestic player in the Big Bash due to club salary caps of around $1.9m.

The ILT20's six franchises – three of which are owned by Indian Premier League teams Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals – will select up to 12 foreign players in their 18-player squad, along with four from the UAE and two others from ICC Associate nations.

Big Bash clubs can contract up to seven overseas players each season but only three can feature in the XI at any one time, with reports suggesting up to nine can be selected in the XI in the UAE league.

Among the other marquee players announced are Evin Lewis, Colin Munro, Hales, Akeal Hosein, Sandeep Lamichhane, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Mujeeb ur Rahman, who have also nominated for the BBL Draft later this month.

As the UAE league is scheduled to clash with BBL|12 when it gets underway in early January, it is unlikely these players will be available for the entire Big Bash season.

Paul Stirling, Ali Khan, Brandon Glover, Ravi Rampaul, Blessing Muzarabani, Hazaratullah Zazai, Frederick Klassen, Sikandar Raza, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, David Wiese, Qais Ahmad, Richard Gleeson, James Vince, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen-ul-haq, Sherfane Rutherford and Benny Howell are the non-marquee players to have nominated for the UAE league who are also in the BBL Draft pool.

The BBL Draft pool currently stands at 169 players from 15 countries, with another swathe of nominations expected to be announced this week. Nominations close on August 21, with the Platinum status players set to be announced the following day, ahead of the Draft event itself to be held live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports on August 28 following the first ODI between Australia and Zimbabwe.

UAE ILT20 marquee players for 2023: Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Dawid Malan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sunil Narine, Evin Lewis, Colin Munro, Fabien Allen, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Dushmantha Chameera, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Chris Jordan, Tom Banton, Sandeep Lamichhane, Chris Lynn, Rovman Powell, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mujeeb ur Rahman