New South Wales have reacted angrily to Cricket Australia’s decision to proceed with privatisation of the Big Bash, saying it “threatens” the game’s ability to invest and risks “long-term” impacts on the sport.
NSW, which runs Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder, have been the strongest opponent to privatisation since earlier this year, consistently saying they would not be taking that route with either of their clubs, challenging CA’s financial forecasts and pushing for other ways to bring more money into the game.
On Tuesday, CA announced their board had approved implementing a “self-determination” model that will allow each state to decide their own paths, but NSW have hit out at the attempts to move the process on without alignment across the whole of the game. The current CA chair, Mike Baird, is a former NSW board member while the announcement featured Ellyse Perry, who is a lifetime Sixers player, and Australia men’s captain Pat Cummins who is from NSW and has previously represented Thunder.
“Cricket NSW is disappointed by Cricket Australia’s decision to proceed with introducing private investment into the Big Bash Leagues without alignment across Australian cricket,” a statement said.
“This decision risks leaving cricket in NSW and Australia strategically and financially worse off, with direct consequences for our ability to invest in grassroots cricket.
“We are proud to be part of an Australian cricket system that is the envy of the world. Yesterday’s announcement threatens this system. The redistribution of profits to external investors reduces our ability to invest in community cricket, creating long-term impacts at all levels.
“The Cricket NSW Board is also disappointed by the process leading to this decision. We have raised concerns directly with Cricket Australia, proposed an alternative pathway to strengthen the Big Bash, and highlighted significant risks within the proposal, informed by high-quality external advice.”
In a statement provided in response, CA chief executive Todd Greenberg said: “As I said at yesterday’s announcement, I am very confident private investment in the Big Bash Leagues will provide enormous long-term benefits for all levels of Australian Cricket.
“CA shares CNSW’s pride in the Australian cricket system and the brilliant players and thousands of participants and fans it continues to produce. We believe that investing a significant proportion of the proceeds from the sale of Big Bash club licences in a future fund will provide the best and most reliable source of funding for grassroots cricket, elite pathways and high performance systems across the game for generations to come.
“We will continue to work with all States and the players to ensure the best interests of the game are enhanced and protected.”
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg and chair Mike Baird speak to reporters•Getty Images
NSW pointed out that both their clubs, Sixers and Thunder, are “successful and healthy” with profits put back into growing participation.
“Cricket NSW strongly believes in the future growth of the WBBL and BBL,” the statement said. “Both Leagues and all clubs are powerful drivers of participation and fan interest in cricket.”
On Tuesday, Greenberg conceded getting full agreement across the game was tough.
“I think what I’ve learned in my short time in cricket, the federated model makes it pretty hard to align everyone’s interest at one point in time,” he said.
“And that’s what Cricket Australia’s leadership is. We have to at least get to some point … after all the analysis [to] make a decision. The board have made that decision. And that’s the job of Australian cricket, is to make decisions in the best interest of the whole sport.
“Each state clearly has to make decisions in their best interest, but Cricket Australia need to make a decision [in the national] interest.”
As it stands, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are in the pro-privatisation camp although on Tuesday but only Cricket Victoria, who will sell Melbourne Renegades entirely, completely endorsed the process.
Queensland are not against the principle of privatisation but have concerns about the model and the financial distribution from it.
“The proposed self-determination model will need to be carefully examined and no doubt there are likely to be further questions and clarification,” a joint statement from Queensland Cricket chair Kirsten Pike and CEO Terry Svenson said. “We will closely monitor the sales process and at this stage, intend to retain 100 percent ownership of the Brisbane Heat, but of course remain open to private investment at the appropriate time.”
South Australia, who pushed for the self-determination model, have sat somewhere in the middle throughout the process.