‘Fake news’ – Cricket Victoria CEO denies offering Babar Azam BBL contract
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins has denied that he contacted Babar Azam in an attempt to convince him to play in the Sheffield Shield and for one of the Melbourne teams in the BBL.
Reports were rife that the former Pakistan skipper had been contacted by Cricket Victoria in Australia and was offered a contract to play domestic cricket and in the BBL in a long-term deal. The reports stated that Babar was keen to take up the deal and would make himself available according to Pakistan’s international calendar. They also stated that he was offered to open in the BBL for either Melbourne Stars or Melbourne Renegades, the two teams run by Cricket Victoria.
The CEO of Cricket Victoria Nick Cummins has now denied the story, saying there was “absolutely zero truth” to them. Commenting on a post that mentioned Victoria’s supposed interest in Babar on X (formerly Twitter), Cummins wrote, “Fake news” and mentioned that Babar would have to go through the draft to play in the BBL and he could be picked by any of club, as a result.
Fake news https://t.co/zxDKdATUPo
— Nick Cummins (@CricketVicCEO) January 12, 2024
Absolutely zero truth about it. Even if we wanted him to play BBL, he’d have to go through the draft and could go to any club. Love Babar, but the story is not true.
— Nick Cummins (@CricketVicCEO) January 12, 2024
“Wait until they find out about Kohli signing with the Stars,” Cummins joked in a later post.
Wait until they find out about Kohli signing with the Stars.
— Nick Cummins (@CricketVicCEO) January 12, 2024
The first report of Babar being offered a contract came out on Thursday, where it stated that Cricket Victoria was looking at a long-term deal with the former skipper of Pakistan.
Breaking News
کرکٹ وکٹوریہ سابق کپتان بابر اعظم سے معاہدے کی خواہشمند, کرکٹ وکٹوریہ نے بابراعظم کو بگ بیش اور اسٹیٹ کرکٹ کھیلنے کی پیشکش کی ہے ، کرکٹ وکٹوریہ کے عہدیداران کی میلبرن میں بابراعظم سے ملاقات ہوئی، کرکٹ وکٹوریہ سابق کپتان کو طویل طرز کے لیے کنٹریکٹ دینے کا خواہشمند… pic.twitter.com/HADCQg54Om— Qadir Khawaja (@iamqadirkhawaja) January 11, 2024
Babar has never played in the Sheffield Shield previously. He played for Somerset in county cricket between 2019 and 2020.
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