The Australian Cricketers’ Association has pulled up the hand-brake on Cricket Australia’s push to bring private money into the men’s and women’s Big Bash leagues. In an email sent to all contracted players on Sunday night, ACA chief executive Paul Marsh wrote, “we are not aligned with the current direction of the process” and therefore cannot support Monday’s vote on the next stage of the scheme.
That vote – involving CA and the six state chairs – was meant to give state bodies the green light to decide for themselves whether to sell equity in their BBL clubs. Without the players’ sign-off, the process has stalled.
“Australian cricket is not currently united on the right path to privatisation,” Marsh told players. “In particular, the recent upheaval around Cricket Victoria’s proposed sale of the Renegades and merger with the Stars reinforces our view that the game is not yet aligned on an approach that will deliver the appropriate value in the privatisation process.”
Key sticking points
• Money: The draft Memorandum of Understanding offers no uplift on the current revenue-share deal and, according to Marsh, “does not provide for salary increases for all player cohorts”.
• Structure: The ACA argues the model is being rushed and lacks consensus among states.
• Equality: Local players remain frustrated that overseas signings can pocket AU$100-200,000 more per season for comparable roles.
“Until CA’s offer improves we cannot consider accepting what is in front of us,” Marsh added. “We do not believe it will deliver the best outcome for the game or players… Given that any sale of these teams is forever, we need to get this right, now.”
How did we get here?
Cricket Australia has been flirting with private investment for almost three years, encouraged by strong valuations for short-form leagues in the United States and the UAE. Chief executive Nick Hockley – and, before him, interim boss Todd Greenberg – has argued that fresh capital is needed to keep top talent away from rival tournaments that run at the same time as the BBL.
Player payments have always been central. While the total salary pool has crept up since COVID-19, marquee Australians can still earn more in a single ILT20 season than across a whole summer at home. Privatisation, CA believes, would generate the revenue required to close that gap.
What happens next?
The ACA plans more talks with CA and state CEOs over the coming weeks. Separate meetings with Melbourne Stars and Renegades squads are set for later this week after Cricket Victoria floated the idea of selling a controlling stake in one club and merging the other.
Privatisation cannot legally proceed without formal ACA consent; any revised proposal will have to land before the new player MOU is finalised. With the domestic contracting period already open, time is getting tight, yet Marsh urged patience: “It is likely this will take some time and we ask players to be patient as we do this.”
Early signs suggest the boardroom debate may roll deep into the winter. For now, the BBL remains wholly owned by Australian cricket – and the players have the final say on whether that changes.
