Cricket NSW Opposes Cricket Australia’s Big Bash Privatisation Plan, Warns of Grassroots Funding Risks
Cricket NSW has strongly opposed Cricket Australia’s decision to introduce private investment into the Big Bash League, warning that the move could leave Australian cricket “strategically and financially worse off”. The dispute has opened a significant divide between the national governing body and one of its most powerful state members.
Cricket Australia announced this week that it would begin the process of bringing private investment into the Big Bash leagues, starting with the sale of the Melbourne Renegades. The organisation hopes the Renegades will operate under new ownership from the 2027-28 season, with other franchises potentially following depending on the outcome of the first sale.
Under the proposed self-determination model, individual state cricket bodies would have the ability to assess whether selling an interest in their BBL franchises is appropriate. Cricket Australia says it will retain control over major elements of the competition, including international scheduling, player availability, salary caps, branding proposals and approval of investors.
Cricket NSW, however, believes the financial consequences could be damaging. The organisation owns the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder and says profits generated by those successful franchises are currently reinvested into participation and grassroots cricket across New South Wales.
The state body argues that redirecting a portion of those profits to external investors could reduce the money available for community cricket. Cricket NSW says this could ultimately affect participation programs and the development pathways that produce players for the Sixers, Thunder, NSW and the Australian teams.
“Cricket NSW is disappointed” that Cricket Australia proceeded without alignment across Australian cricket, the state organisation said in a statement. It also said it had presented an alternative approach to strengthening the Big Bash and had highlighted risks identified through external advice.
The disagreement is also about the broader ownership philosophy of Australian cricket. Cricket NSW has previously argued that the Australian cricket community should retain control over the sport rather than allowing private investors to acquire ownership interests in major domestic teams. NSW parliamentary documents have recorded the organisation’s opposition to private ownership of the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.
Cricket Australia takes a fundamentally different view. Chairman Mike Baird has argued that opening the Big Bash to private investment can strengthen the competition, accelerate its growth and provide additional resources for cricket from the grassroots level through to the elite game.
Chief executive Todd Greenberg has previously described private investment as effectively inevitable as global T20 competitions compete for players, audiences and commercial revenue. Cricket Australia believes additional capital could help the BBL compete more effectively with powerful overseas leagues and make Australian cricket more financially sustainable.
The financial opportunity is potentially substantial. Cricket Australia is reportedly hoping private investment could inject more than A$1 billion into Australian cricket, although the ultimate amount will depend on valuations and the outcome of individual franchise sales. The Melbourne Renegades will provide the first major test of whether investors are prepared to pay the prices Australian cricket expects.
The issue has also created tension with players. The Australian Cricketers’ Association is seeking a larger share of revenues following changes to the ownership structure, with negotiations expected to become an important part of the privatisation process. Players currently receive 27.5 per cent under the existing arrangement, while the union has pushed for a substantially higher share under certain conditions.
NSW is not alone in expressing reservations. Queensland has also opposed the current approach, while South Australia remains cautious. Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia have been more receptive to private investment, creating an unusual split among Australia’s state cricket organisations.
For Cricket NSW, the central question is whether the immediate financial gains from selling BBL ownership stakes outweigh the long-term value of keeping franchise profits within the cricket system. The organisation fears that what Cricket Australia sees as new investment could instead represent a transfer of future cricket revenue away from community programs.
The first major test will now be the Melbourne Renegades sale. Its success or failure is likely to influence whether Cricket Australia proceeds with additional franchise transactions and could determine how quickly the BBL moves towards a privately backed ownership model.
The conflict therefore goes beyond the ownership of individual BBL teams. At stake is a much broader question about who should control the commercial future of Australian cricket—and whether the money generated by its increasingly valuable T20 competitions should primarily benefit investors, professional players, state associations or the grassroots game.
