Last Updated on 33 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Australia fans have expressed concern over Cricket Australia’s (CA) green light to privatise the Big Bash League (BBL). CA confirmed the move on Tuesday, stating it will invite bids for a 100% stake in the Melbourne Renegades for the 2027/28 season and beyond.
CA chair Mike Baird says the move will help future-proof Australian cricket, allowing for investment back into grassroots cricket.
“By opening the door to private investment in the Big Bash Leagues, Cricket Australia is taking a deliberate step to strengthen and secure the long-term future of the game, accelerate growth and ensuring we can keep investing in community cricket and grassroots participation, domestic and international pathways and the elite level,” Baird said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Baird, along with CEO Todd Greenberg, maintained that CA will have control over scheduling and player availability, especially considering Test cricket and the BBL run at the same time of the year – the holiday peak in Australia.
“Let me be crystal on that in the details, centrally contracted Australian players’ primacy is Test cricket, and that is written in the rules and regulations that any buyer will know,” said Greenberg.
Australia fans worried over impact of CA’s BBL privatisation move
Concern among Australia fans stem from a few key factors.
First, CA is not in agreement with all major stakeholders regarding its privatisation plan. Cricket New South Wales and Queensland Cricket are not in support of the move, while CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) are reportedly a long way away from an agreement regarding the share of revenue that should go to the players.
Second, fans are concerned of the impact the move will have on Test cricket. Red-ball cricket, especially the Boxing Day Test, is a crucial part of Australia’s cultural heritage. While Greenberg and Baird have attempted to reassure the public of Test cricket’s standing, time will tell as to how hard prospective buyers will push for the Australian Test players to be available for the BBL, and how much CA will resist the temptation to cave.
“Aside from the pitfalls of privatisation, it strikes me it isn’t a particularly good idea to move ahead with something so major when there isn’t agreement amongst all the stakeholders. That seems like a recipe for disaster,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter).
“In my opinion, the whole Big Bash privatisation process has been a disaster. Cricket Victoria hijacked the process by washing their hands of the Renegades essentially forcing CA into the self-determination model,” wrote another.
Here are some of the reactions.
