Finn Allen joins Melbourne Stars in record-breaking deal: Details here
What's the story
New Zealand opener Finn Allen, a key player in Perth Scorchers' title-winning campaign last season, has signed with Melbourne Stars for a record-breaking deal. The move comes after Allen's stellar performance in the recent ICC T20 World Cup and his maiden IPL century for Kolkata Knight Riders. The deal is believed to be worth AU$600,000 in the first year of a three-year contract.
Career highlights
Allen's recent performancesÂ
Allen has established himself as a global power-hitter in franchise cricket.
He had a stellar BBL season with the Scorchers and followed it up with an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls in the T20 World Cup semi-final. He also scored a 47-ball 100* for the Knight Riders.
Allen has played the last two seasons of Major League Cricket (MLC) for San Francisco Unicorns. Cricket Victoria's high-performance department runs this franchise alongside Melbourne Stars.
Contract details
Melbourne Stars' win biddingÂ
With the overseas draft being scrapped, Perth Scorchers lost their chance to retain Allen through that mechanism. This opened up a bidding war for his services, with Melbourne Stars emerging as the winner.
The team is believed to have signed Allen on a deal worth AU$600,000 in at least the first year of a three-year contract.
However, it remains unclear if this amount will remain consistent in future years due to possible changes in the BBL salary cap and contracting structure once private equity is introduced.
Player's statement
Allan expresses his excitement
Expressing his excitement over joining the Melbourne Stars, Allen said, "The Stars are a powerhouse team in this competition, so it's going to be a lot of fun playing for them."
He added that he was looking forward to being part of their growing fanbase and playing at the MCG.
According to Cricinfo, Allen has scored 6,024 runs from 215 T20s at a staggering strike rate of 176.50. His tally includes 7 tons and 36 half-centuries.
Salary cap
Impact of high-profile signings
Allen's high-profile signing comes after Ben Stokes was signed by Adelaide Strikers on a deal reportedly worth AU$500,000.
This has led to calls for capping the salaries of overseas players under the new rules.
BBL boss Alistair Dobson acknowledged that such deals may favor overseas players in the short term but expressed confidence that it would benefit local players in the coming years.