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Kevin Pietersen tipped to play with Melbourne Stars in fourth instalment of Big Bash League
KEVIN Pietersen will become the highest paid player in the Big Bash when he signs with the Melbourne Stars later this month.
The sacked England gun for hire will receive a $200,000 package from the Stars and Cricket Australia for his six-week stint from late December, which is likely to be further supplemented by tournament broadcaster Channel Ten.
Pietersen also hopes to earn more through separate promotional appearances and endorsements.
Only a last minute hitch before the Big Bash contracting period opens on May 19 will prevent him becoming the competition’s central attraction.
While Pietersen’s deal is big money for the Big Bash it pales when compared to what Shane Warne was paid to come out of retirement for the first two years of the expanded eight team league.
Warne earned about $500,000 a year through a combination of the Stars, a Cricket Australia marketing contract and a significant contribution from Fox Spots, which broadcast the highly successful Twenty20 competition until Channel Ten won the rights last season.
England’s best current and most contrary batsman, Pietersen is the only other player to be offered a Big Bash marketing contract after Warne, which will enable Cricket Australia to use him as a major promotional tool for the league.
The Sydney Sixers spoke to Pietersen’s management but the South African-born batsman made it clear he wanted to play in Melbourne.
There is a close connection between Pietersen and Warne going back to the time they played county cricket together for Hampshire.
Stars chief executive Clint Cooper claimed no deal had been done with Pietersen.
“We’ve had good, robust discussions with Kevin’s management which is a positive sign moving forward,” Cooper said.
“But at the moment we’re in the throes of an embargo period so until that finishes, we won’t be doing anything definitive.”
During the first two years of the Big Bash the Sydney Thunder paid enormous money for former West Indies captain Chris Gayle.
The swashbuckling left-hander had a package worth more than $250,000 but investing a quarter of the franchise’s salary cap in just one player and giving him preferential treatment proved a disaster.
John Dyson was sacked as chief executive after two dreadful years and the Thunder are being rebuilt under the leadership of Mike Hussey.
The South African-born Pietersen is available for all eight Big Bash games and the finals after England refused to renew his contract following a disastrous 5-0 Ashes rout last summer.
It was not the first time Pietersen had been sacked by England after the team hierarchy, led by sacked coach Andy Flower, believed he was not a team player.
He was stood down in 2012 before being “reintergrated” into the England team.
Pietersen is due to return to England after the current the IPL tournament for Surrey. He has also signed a deal to play for St Lucia in the Caribbean Premier League.
