David locks in Big Bash future after IPL mega-deal

Fresh from a life-changing $1.53m Indian Premier League deal, Tim David has secured his short-term future in the BBL, signing a two-year contract extension with the Hobart Hurricanes.

The tall 25-year-old has built an impressive record in the Big Bash and flourished in Hobart since making the move to Tasmania ahead of BBL|10 in 2020, with powerful hitting and ability to finish innings making him a valuable commodity.

The two-year extension for David was one of five deals secured by the Hurricanes before the BBL's contracting embargo period began after the Perth Scorchers won the BBL|11 title.

It proved a canny move with David's profile skyrocketing after the IPL bidding war saw him outstrip the price tag for current Australian team stars at the auction.

The $1.53m Mumbai shelled out was the highest amount offered for any Australian cricketer, ahead of World Cup winners Josh Hazlewood ($1.44m), Pat Cummins ($1.35m), Mitchell Marsh ($1.2m) and David Warner ($1.16m), who all earned seven-figure deals.

Deals secured before the auction by Glenn Maxwell ($2m) and Marcus Stoinis ($1.7m) make David the third-highest paid Australian as this year's tournament.

While Hobart are seeking a new head coach after the departure of Adam Griffth, who was instrumental in luring David to the Hurricanes, the rising star will continue to play in purple until at least the end of the 2023-24 summer.

David has played four seasons of BBL so far, with two in Perth where he had limited opportunities, smashing 33 sixes at an incredible strike rate of 153.42 in a middle-order role.

Hobart teammate Matthew Wade likened his power hitting to Australia star Marcus Stoinis, who plays a similar finishing role in Australia's T20 side.

"We don't have many guys in Australia that can do what he can do at the back-end of an innings," Wade told cricket.com.au.

"He's just got power … like the West Indies players, that kind of power; the Pollards, the (Andre) Russells, those guys that can come out and mis-hit balls for sixes.

"I haven't seen that in Australian cricket for a long, long time.

"(Marcus) Stoinis is one of the other ones that we've got in Australia and I think Tim's right next to him.

"It's invaluable to go away and play those leagues. He's played a lot now. If he puts a good IPL together and gets some runs in some cricket back here, I’m sure he'll be on the radar for the World Cup.

"I'd love to see him get an opportunity and I'm sure he will down the track."

Born in Singapore to Australian parents, David's family moved back to Perth when he was two, but with his father Rod having played cricket for the country during his time there, Tim took up the opportunity to play for the country of his birth.

Under ICC rules, there is no qualifying period for players to move from representing an associate nation to a full member, and David has previously expressed his desire to play cricket for Australia.

"I'm really happy to be extending my time with the Hurricanes," David said in a statement issued by the club.

"I'm thankful to the opportunity they gave me two years ago to be part of this team. The Hurricanes have been an important part of my growth as a player. I believe we have some great talent in this squad and I'm confident that if we play our best cricket we are capable of winning the BBL."

Currently in sizzling form with the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League where he is averaging 81.50 and striking at 211.69, David is expected to return to the Southern Brave in the UK's Hundred competition, play with Lancashire in the T20 blast and play in this year's Caribbean Premier League.

Tasmania's interim head coach, Ali De Winter, said he was expecting David to return to Australia between the PSL and the IPL and potentially play the Tigers' Marsh Cup game against Victoria on March 6 and the final, if they make it.

Griffith suggested David could be blazing a trail for an alternate route to international cricket than via the traditional first-class system.

"I think we're going to see players potentially taking different paths to the Australian set-up," Griffith told cricket.com.au. "It might not necessarily be about piling on the runs in state cricket anymore.

"He's got some good deals in a few different competitions and he's learning his game in varying conditions around the world, and these days that's another way to go about it.

"(Australia) have just won the World Cup, they've got Stoinis and Wade there, and they'll be defending their title, so it's a difficult side to break into.

"But who knows? For Tim now it's all about gaining experience in different situations. The more of that he gets, the better off he'll be."