Pat Cummins, captain of the Australian Test and ODI teams and leader of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, took to X (formerly Twitter), to shut down an Australian journalist, who wrote about senior Australian players’ commitment to Australia’s biggest T20 league the Big Bash League (BBL) over pay differences.
Responding directly to a report by The Age, which alleged that Australian players were “considering jumping ship” for South Africa’s SA20 unless BBL pay improved, Cummins didn’t mince words.
Cummins quote-tweeted the report with a blunt takedown:
“Everything you’ve written about me in this about SAT20 NOC and The Hundred offer is made up “
The thumbs-up emoji added a touch of classic Cummins sarcasm to a serious allegation. The original report, penned by journalist Daniel Brettig, and shared by him on X as well, suggested that senior Australian stars were pressuring Cricket Australia (CA) for No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in the South African T20 league starting in 2028.
It also claimed Cummins had been offered a massive $800,000 (approx. ₹6.7 Crore) to play in The Hundred, which would have forced him to miss Australia’s upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
Cummins Had Previously Talked About Tension
While Cummins has admitted in the past—specifically on the Business of Sport podcast in early 2026—that there is a “tension point” between international schedules and lucrative T20 leagues, he has consistently prioritized the Baggy Green.
The report likely stemmed from the growing financial gap between the BBL and rival leagues like the SA20 and ILT20, which offer higher match fees for a shorter window. However, Cummins’ immediate and public rebuttal clarifies two major things:
- No SAT20 NOC Request: There is no “ringleader” movement among senior Aussies to abandon the home summer.
- The Hundred Offer is Fiction: The alleged $800,000 offer to skip the Bangladesh Tests simply does not exist.
Will the BBL pay-hike controversy pick pace?
For a player currently recovering from a lingering back injury—which saw him miss the 2026 T20 World Cup in February—the focus remains squarely on the upcoming Test schedule against Bangladesh, South Africa, and New Zealand.
By calling out “fake news” so directly, Cummins has signaled that while the conversation around player pay is real, using his name to fuel “jumping ship” narratives is off-limits.
Will the pay hike demand be addressed, is yet to be seen as the BBL’s 2026-27 season is still six months away.