{"id":725000,"date":"2026-06-09T11:08:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/725000\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T11:08:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:08:26","slug":"best-and-most-effective-way-cricket-australia-boss-triples-down-on-bbl-sell-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/725000\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Best and most effective way\u2019: Cricket Australia boss triples down on BBL sell-off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DanielSave<\/p>\n

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Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has declared that selling stakes in Big Bash League clubs is \u201ccomfortably the best and most effective way\u201d to preserve Australian cricket\u2019s future \u2013 with backing from the game\u2019s broadcasters.<\/p>\n

In his first extensive public comments since Cricket Victoria\u2019s dramatic decision to merges its two BBL clubs<\/a> to leave a \u201cclean licence\u201d for sale, Greenberg set the scene for the next round of negotiations around the future of the BBL.<\/p>\n

\"CricketCricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg says selling off stakes in BBL teams is still firmly on the agenda.Arsineh Houspian<\/p>\n

A meeting between Greenberg, players union boss Paul Marsh and state CEOs is set down for Wednesday. CA chair Mike Baird is then due to oversee a meeting with state chairs in Melbourne on June 15, where a \u201cself-determination model\u201d for privatisation will be discussed. Cricket NSW is also seeking to discuss its \u201calternative strategy\u201d for raising cricket\u2019s commercial value without selling stakes.<\/p>\n

As a prelude, around 300 delegates gathered at the MCG for a CA conference dubbed \u201cThe Edge\u201d, drawing together cricket staff, sponsors, players and broadcasters. Greenberg, who alongside Baird had been grilled about their knowledge of CV\u2019s actions by state chiefs last week, made his position clear in the opening address.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential is vast, but we have to have an eye on the long-term future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Pat<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd one thing is absolutely clear \u2013 to maintain Australia\u2019s position at the top and keep growing the game\u2019s popularity, we need to ensure we have the funds to continue to invest in the things that have created success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see private investment in the Big Bash \u2013 with the appropriate guardrails \u2013 as comfortably the best and most effective way of protecting the future of the game from the grassroots to our elite programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cImportantly, our discussions have been collaborative and well-informed. Of course they will get robust at times, but everyone in those rooms is passionate about ensuring cricket remains an important part of Australian life.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of the future shape of the Australian summer, Greenberg discussed the high value of the \u201cmega days\u201d where the Boxing Day and New Year\u2019s Tests are immediately followed by BBL games. He assured the audience that, for this reason, the traditional MCG and SCG Tests were in no danger of disappearing.<\/p>\n

Editor’s pick\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a unique advantage for our sport and our broadcast and commercial partners \u2013 and one we plan to maintain regardless of any changes in the Big Bash League ownership model,\u201d Greenberg said. \u201cSo you can keep the Boxing Day and New Year\u2019s Tests in your calendars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greenberg also rejected the idea that CA had been talking down cricket\u2019s financial position to force through privatisation plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo doubt you will have seen or read some recent media reports about the prospect of bringing private capital into our Big Bash clubs,\u201d Greenberg told the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you will appreciate, we work in a stakeholder-rich environment and driving consensus is never an easy task.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we are continuing discussions with our state partners to find the best way forward \u2013 and we will always place the interests of the game at the forefront of every decision we make.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Barmy Army in full flight in Bay 13 at the MCG during day two of the Boxing Day Test last year.Chris Hopkins<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are certainly not talking down cricket\u2019s current prosperity and its vast potential. Cricket is bigger and more popular than it\u2019s ever been. That\u2019s the result of a huge amount of work and planning around high performance, pathways, promotion, event presentation and participation programs \u2013 and thanks to the brilliant partners and clubs we have in the room today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those partners include Foxtel and Seven, which asserted their favourable views of privatisation in a late-afternoon panel session.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Boxing Day Test isn\u2019t going anywhere.Justin McManus<\/p>\n

Cricket rights, the broadcasters said, had the potential to be far more valuable with the help of private investment in teams that ensured the best players would take the field in Australia.<\/p>\n

They discussed the BBL in the context of competition from the privatised leagues in South Africa and the UAE, which currently offer higher top rates of pay for marquee players.<\/p>\n

Delegates were also addressed by Jason Schretter of the Raine Group, which was a key player in the ECB\u2019s sale of stakes in the Hundred competition, and has more recently been advising CA and the states on BBL sale plans. Schretter was open in his view of cricket as a rich investment possibility for private capital.<\/p>\n

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"DanielDaniel Brettig<\/a> is The Age’s chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":725001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-725000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=725000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/725001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=725000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=725000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=725000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}