by Our Sports Desk

CRICKET Australia said yesterday that reports of a new rebel cricket league were “highly speculative.”

The Essel Group, which is owned by billionaire Indian media mogul Subhash Chandra, this week confirmed its ambitions to launch an unnamed cricket venture, and has made the first step by registering company names in Australia.

Australian media company Fairfax reported that current captain Michael Clarke and batsman David Warner would be offered 10-year £6.5 million deals.

“Australian cricket has never been in better health,” Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said.

“Record crowds, television audiences, grassroots participation and commercial support continue to drive record revenue which means player payments have never been higher and will only increase.

“As it stands, Australia’s cricketers are the highest paid athletes of any team sport in the country and the earnings of our top-ranked players would already be close to the numbers referenced in today’s media reports.

“But our pay structure is broader than that. It’s about supporting professional cricket at both international and domestic level. The success of international cricket directly subsidises the wages of state cricketers. Any proposed rebel league would jeopardise that.

“Most of Australian cricket’s revenue is reinvested back into the sport, strengthening it for the 1.1 million players at grassroots level around the country.”

The Essel group was behind the now defunct Indian Cricket League and owns the broadcaster Zee TV and its subsidiary Ten Sports.

Neither Clarke nor Warner have commented on the reports.