Cummins, Head offered Rs 58 crore each by IPL franchises to play exclusively in T20 leagues: Report
Sydney (PTI): A group of leading IPL franchises offered Australia captain Pat Cummins and his deputy Travis Head staggering multi-year deals worth AUD 10 million (Rs 58.46 crore) each to play exclusively in T20 leagues, but both players turned them down, according to a report.
The offers, nearly six times more than what top Australian players earn under their board's central contracts, were made earlier this year as part of a push by IPL-backed investors to assemble full-time franchise squads, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"The offers, made this year by an IPL team group, were politely rebuffed by two of Australia's most valuable cricket assets, who remain firmly committed to the national team," stated the report.
Senior Australian players earn around AUD 1.5 million (Rs 8.77 crore) annually from Cricket Australia (CA) contracts, with Cummins' total income rising to AUD 3 million (Rs 17.54 crore) including captaincy allowances.
The report said the development came to light during discussions between Cricket Australia, state bodies and the players' association on possible privatisation of the Big Bash League, underscoring the growing financial might of global T20 franchises.
Head, who featured in both the IPL and Major League Cricket last year, admitted that playing franchise tournaments gave him a glimpse of life outside international cricket but insisted his focus remained with Australia.
"Currently I'm playing for Australia, and I don't see a timeline where I can play anything (else) really... I want to commit, as much as I can, to Australia," Head said.
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Bengaluru: CCB busts citywide prostitution racket; four arrested, four rescued
Bengaluru (PTI): Four women were arrested and four others, two of whom were from other states, were rescued after the CCB busted a prostitution racket operating from rented houses across the city, police said on Thursday.
The operation was carried out by the Central Crime Branch’s Women Protection Squad based on credible information gathered over multiple days about illegal activities at various locations, they said.
According to the police, houses had been rented in Manuvana, Vijayanagar, Ramaswamipalya, Banaswadi, Andrahalli, Veerabhadreshwara Nagar, and Byadarahalli, where women were being confined and forced into prostitution.
Acting on specific inputs, coordinated raids were conducted at these locations. During the operation, four women who were allegedly being forced into prostitution were rescued. Four women accused of running the racket were arrested, a senior police officer said.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed that they contacted clients over the phone and arranged meetings at the rented houses to carry out the illegal activities to earn more money, he added.
Cases have been registered at Vijayanagar, Banaswadi, and Byadarahalli police stations. The accused were produced before the court on different dates and have been remanded to judicial custody, police said.
