Melbourne’s two Big Bash outfits will play at least one more season in their current guises after Cricket Victoria abruptly pulled the handbrake on its merger-and-rebrand plan. The move gives governing bodies, players and potential investors a little breathing space, though no-one is pretending the bigger questions have disappeared.
State chairs met on Monday and backed, in principle, a hybrid privatisation model. In plain English, each state can choose whether to sell a slice of its BBL licence rather than being forced into an all-in sale. That compromise brought New South Wales and Queensland—long-time sceptics—into the tent, yet real progress now hinges on the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA). Players want a fresh pay structure before anything is signed off, and Cricket Australia (CA) may also have to tinker with its own governance to seal the deal.
Victoria had stunned colleagues earlier this month by announcing a full merger of the Stars and Renegades before CA had even voted on the wider BBL plan. It also quietly lodged trademarks for three possible replacement names—Rangers, Blazers and Magic—and declared its intention to off-load 100 per cent of the second licence. That left players, members and sponsors with more questions than answers.
On Tuesday evening a joint email landed in members’ inboxes. “Due to the extended timeline for a decision on BBL privatisation, we have made the decision not to go ahead with our vision of a re-branded team for the upcoming season,” the two clubs said. Translation: the Stars badge survives for 2026-27 in both the men’s and women’s competitions, while the Renegades will be run by a temporary management group headed by former Stars general manager Max Abbott and bank-rolled by Cricket Victoria.
Behind the scenes opinions differ on how quickly the paperwork can be wrapped up. Some insiders reckon agreement with the ACA could be reached within a month, allowing clubs to test their market value by October. Others, especially outside Victoria, doubt the timeline is realistic.
ACA chief executive Paul Marsh told players in an email before Monday’s vote that the union would not green-light privatisation under the current model. Domestic cricketers are frustrated that a handful of overseas stars seem guaranteed richer deals while squad salaries have flat-lined. The ACA is understood to be chasing 30 per cent of cricket’s revenue pool under the next Memorandum of Understanding, up from 27.5 per cent. CA has so far resisted, although having Todd Greenberg—once boss of the ACA—now running the national body might help nudge the two sides together.
Away from the boardroom, the ACA plans face-to-face meetings with Stars and Renegades players to explain what Victoria’s merger announcement means in practical terms. Squads remain intact for now, though both clubs still need to complete their lists once the current contract embargo is lifted.
Monday’s vote was notable for the sudden alignment of states. South Australia had originally floated the hybrid model; Western Australia and Tasmania, along with Victoria, were already on board. With NSW and Queensland finally nodding, momentum should be building—yet most officials admit the hard yards still lie ahead.
So, for at least one more summer, Melbourne cricket fans can keep their green or red scarves. Beyond that, the colour scheme, the ownership and even the team names remain very much up for grabs.
