{
  "id": 4874318,
  "title": "Stokes Big Bash deal could kickstart £3m franchise cricket pay day",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/stokes-big-bash-deal-could-kickstart-3m-franchise-cricket-pay-day",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T13:31:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/stokes-big-bash-deal-could-kickstart-3m-franchise-cricket-pay-day/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former England Test captain Ben Stokes has inked a lucrative deal with the Adelaide Strikers, a team in Australia's T20 Big Bash League (BBL). The 35-year-old is set to play for the Strikers in a month-long stint, reportedly earning around £250,000. If he chooses, Stokes can continue to explore the lucrative world of franchise cricket, playing in top cricketing markets such as India, the UK, the United States, and the Caribbean within a 12-month period. His previous contract in the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings in 2023 earned him £1.6m, and a similar sum could be expected in 2027. Should he join his home team Durham for the Vitality Blast, he could earn an additional £150,000. The Hundred, where top players earned £400,000 this year, and the Major League Cricket, where overseas players earn £275,000, are also possibilities for Stokes. The final stop on his franchise cricket journey could be the Caribbean Premier League, allowing him to earn an extra £100,000. In total, a heavily invested Stokes could earn nearly £3m in one 12-month period.",
  "summary": "Former England Test captain Ben Stokes has signed a deal with Australian T20 Big Bash team Adelaide Strikers in a move that could see him earn nearly £3m on the lucrative franchise circuit. Stokes, who retired from international cricket in June, has not played franchise cricket since the 2024 Hundred but has signed Down Under [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}