Queensland Cricket has told Cricket Australia (CA) it wants no part of the proposed partial sell-off of Big Bash League clubs, lining up alongside New South Wales in opposition.
NSW – owners of Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder – had already said “no thanks” when the outline landed on state chief executives’ desks in Melbourne late last month. Queensland, which runs Brisbane Heat, initially asked CA for extra detail. After another round of phone calls and board chats, they have now shut the door altogether.
The knock-back means only four states – Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania – remain willing to move to the next stage, where independent valuations would be commissioned for all eight teams. Those four jurisdictions oversee the remaining five clubs.
CA believes outside investment could raise somewhere between A$600-800 million. Supporters say fresh capital would help keep top players in the league and fund junior pathways. Detractors worry about surrendering control to private owners and diluting the states’ influence over scheduling and community programmes.
A Queensland official, speaking on background, summed it up: “We’re not convinced the numbers stack up or that the governance model protects the long-term interests of Queensland cricket.”
There is still time for further talks, but for now CA is two states short of unanimous backing – and unanimity was widely thought to be the preferred route before anything is put to market.
