Ash Gardner lands historic $558,000 deal with Gujarat Giants in inaugural WPL auction

Ash Gardner’s life changed forever on Monday, when she became the joint highest-selling international player in the inaugural WPL auction and more than doubled her Cricket Australia career earnings. 

Australia’s star all-rounder was sold to Gujarat for 3.2 crore ($558,000) after the Giants won a bidding war against the Mumbai Indians and the UP Warriorz. 

The Indians shelled out the same amount to secure the rights to England star Nat Sciver-Brunt, while India opening batter Smriti Mandhana fetched the highest bid after signing for Bangalore for $593,000.

Ash Gardner signed for the Gujarat Giants for $558,000 in the inaugural WPL auction on Monday, making her the joint highest-selling international player 

Sciver-Brunt’s England teammate Sophie Ecclestone, meanwhile, signed for the Warriorz for over $310,000. 

It means Gardner will make over $500,000 for just over three week’s work in the WPL than she has done in her entire career, a landmark moment for female cricketers in Australia.

To put the figure into context, in May last year Cricket Australia announced the average annual salary for a female domestic player involved in both the WNCL and WBBL this season would rise to $86,000. 

Gardner watched the auction on her iPhone along with some of her teammates on the field at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, where Australia’s women are training for their next match at the T20 World Cup in South Africa. 

‘I’m excited to have been selected by the Giants in the inaugural Women’s IPL and look forward to joining the team next month,’ she told News Corp.

Beth Mooney will join Gardner at the Giants after being sold for $349,000 on Monday

Fellow Aussie star Ellyse Perry signed for the Royal Challenges Bangalore for $295,800

‘For now my focus is on Australia at the Women’s T20 World Cup and our next game.’

Gardner will be joined at the Giants by Australia teammate Beth Mooney, who pocketed $349,000 after being signed by the franchise, which is coached by Aussie great Rachael Haynes. 

The deal caps a momentous couple of weeks for Mooney, who received the Belinda Clark Award as Australia ‘s best female cricketer and was named Women’s ODI Player Of The Year at the Australian Cricket Awards late last month.

Fellow Aussie stars Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath also cashed in during Monday’s auction, with the former sold to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for $295,800 and the latter snapped up by the UP Warriorz for $244,000.

Meanwhile, Australia captain Meg Lanning sold to the Delhi Capitals for $191,000, while Alyssa Healy and Annabel Sutherland both fetched $122,000 after being selected by the UP Warriorz and Gujarat respectively. 

India star Smriti Mandhana fetched the highest bid after signing for Bangalore for $593,000

England star Nat Sciver-Brunt was sold to the Mumbai Indians for $558,000

Megan Schutt, however, went unsold as did a host of international stars including West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews, England captain Heather Knight and England batter Danni Wyatt.

Former New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates and South African young gun Laura Wolvaardt also missed out, as did Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu. 

Mandhana hailed the inaugural WPL auction as a landmark moment for women’s cricket after the IPL became a global juggernaut since launching in 2008.

‘We have been watching auction of [the] men‘s IPL,’ she said.

‘It is such a big moment for women to have an auction of this sort. The whole thing is exciting.’

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was sold to the Mumbai Indians for $314,000, echoed the point. 

‘It is a game changer for all of us,’ she said. 

‘This will entirely change women‘s cricket not just in India. We all are looking forward to that.’ 

The first ever WPL will take place between March 4 and March 26, with a total of 22 matches.