Cricket news 2026: Cricket Australia to proceed with Big Bash League privatisation despite New South Wales and Queensland opposition, states allowed to sell off stakes in BBL franchises, explained, details
BBL privatisation one step closer | 00:31
Tim Miller from Fox SportsSeptember 8th, 2026 6:10 am
Australian domestic cricket is set to radically change, with Cricket Australia pushing ahead with plans to privatise the Big Bash League despite protests from several states.
The desire to partially sell off stakes in several BBL franchises, led by CA as well as state bodies in Victoria or Tasmania, has been on the agenda for months.
Cricket Victoria revealed in June that they are intent on merging their two BBL teams into one organisation while selling off the Melbourne Renegades, though the move was put on hold amid backlash from other states.
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A CA board meeting on Monday night rubber-stamped the move towards privatisation without requiring unanimous support from the six states, with the body set to make a formal announcement on Tuesday.
The plan is for states to be given permission to sell up to 49 per cent stakes in their franchises to private investors, in a bid to keep pace with other T20 leagues around the world.
In particular, South Africa’s SA20 competition has emerged
In particular, South Africa’s SA20 competition has emerged as a competitor for top-level talent in a similar summer time window, having opened its doors to Indian investors, while The Hundred has done similar.
Among the teams in the former competition are MI Cape Town (owned by the IPL’s Mumbai Indians), Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Durban Super Giants and Pretoria Capitals, while The Hundred boasts MI London, Sunrisers Leeds and Manchester Super Giants.
SEN’s Tom Morris has reported that CA plans to involve “top-level men’s and women’s cricketers” as part of the announcement, which will take place in Sydney – despite Cricket NSW being the most ardent holdouts against the privatisation plan.
The Australian Cricketers’ Association had also voiced
The Australian Cricketers’ Association had also voiced their concerns about what the proposal would mean for players, having in June pushed back on an in principle agreement between CA and the states to continue to press forward with a privatisation timeline allowing each state to decide on selling stakes at their own pace.
The union is involved in ongoing negotiations with CA over what the players’ cut of any franchise stake sell would be, making players’ involvement in Tuesday’s announcement a substantial win for the pro-privatisation bloc.
Throughout the process, Victoria and Tasmania have ardently supported CA’s sell-off strategy, while Western Australia are also on board.
South Australia are yet to ally themselves definitively
South Australia are yet to ally themselves definitively to either camp, having voiced their doubts over the current proposal, while Queensland and NSW – particularly the latter – are in firm opposition.
Among the major concerns is a proposed tax on any holdouts, which would see states that choose not to sell stakes in their BBL teams when first allowed to do so need to pay up to do so later, with the proceeds passing to the states that did sell.
Morris reported on Monday that CA were prepared to reduce the tax by 50 per cent in order to get their proposal over the line.
NSW chairman John Knox and CA equivalent Mike
NSW chairman John Knox and CA equivalent Mike Baird have been at loggerheads throughout the process, with the NSW camp adamant that the privatisation plan amounts to nothing more than a quick cash injection that won’t solve the long-term issues faced by the sport in Australia
Queensland have pushed back hard against the proposed tax, and also have expressed doubts that CA’s financial modelling on the future of Australian cricket should privatisation be rejected – which paints a grim picture – are accurate.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au
