Cricket Australia board to be overhauled, BBL sale greenlit after crunch meeting

Big Bash League teams are closer to being sold to private investors, but not before the Cricket Australia board chaired by Mike Baird faces the prospect of a major overhaul. These were the major takeaways from a series of agreements struck by the six state associations in a marathon meeting at CA headquarters in Jolimont on Monday. States will be able to make up their own minds about whether to sell off stakes in their BBL teams under a “self-determination model” suggested by South Australia.

The states also made their agreement subject to “change to the current CA governance structure to take into account the new operating model”. A possible new structure for the board would comprise one director appointed by each of the six states, plus four independent directors, one of which is the chair. The state-appointed directors would be allowed to have the option of also sitting on their state board.

The agreement also means Victoria will be able to carry on with plans for selling a licence, having shocked the cricket world by merging the Stars and Renegades BBL teams, as other states weigh up their options. However, they will not be able to proceed as swiftly as first hoped, and it is still possible that the two Melbourne teams will play as the Stars and Renegades this season. Clubs can be sold in time for the 2027-28 season.

Reflecting a significant power shift, most of Monday’s lengthy meeting took place with only the representatives of the six states in the room. CA chair Mike Baird and chief executive Todd Greenberg stepped away for much of the meeting, which wrapped up mid-afternoon. Baird is up for re-election for a further three years in October, and it remains to be seen whether he will want to continue as chair if the states push for a board structure that returns to a more representative model, rather than the balance of independent and state-nominated directors that has been in place since 2012.

There are plenty of caveats to the state of agreement, including the shape of the BBL governance model, the aforementioned change to CA’s board structure to account for the new operating model, pay agreements with the players, and funding agreements between CA and the state associations. The Australian Cricketers’ Association informed its members over the weekend of its opposition to the current model for BBL privatisation and accompanying pay model. Similarly, agreements among the states about their funding model from CA will be difficult to secure.

The states are adamant they will not accept a cut to their current annual distributions, while some senior figures at CA believe too much money is handed over instead of being used more strategically for the areas of most need to Australian cricket. “The discussions today were very productive, and I’m pleased we have continued the momentum toward optimising the Big Bash Leagues for the benefit of the entire game,” Baird said. “The states have agreed to go back to their boards to discuss these proposals and address any questions that might arise from their members on four key topics involving governance of the BBL and CA, player support and state distributions.

“We’re confident this will lead to the best-possible outcome for everyone, including grassroots participants and volunteers and professional players, and provide certainty for the future of cricket in Australia.” SACA chair Will Rayner added: “We had honest and constructive talks today about the best way to move forward on behalf of everyone involved in Australian Cricket. “While there is a lot to work through, we have made good progress and will now discuss the mechanics of a self-determination model, contingent on several conditions being met, with our respective boards.

“It was a productive session that positions us to continue to grow the BBL leagues, while ensuring the appropriate checks and balances are in place to ensure the long-term sustainability and sovereignty of our game.” Upon leaving the meeting, Cricket NSW chair John Knox replied to a question about the meeting with the words, “full alignment”. New South Wales and Queensland have been most vocally opposed to selling, while SACA first floated a self-determination model where the states could make up their own minds.

Western Australia and Tasmania are willing to test the market in terms of the potential value of their BBL clubs. Victoria was represented by board director Shaun Richardson due to the absence of chair Ross Hepburn, who is overseas. CV chief executive Nick Cummins had earlier volunteered to withdraw from the meeting, after he had been the state’s first choice to substitute for Hepburn.

Australian cricket may be fundamentally changed by the outcomes of a meeting between Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and his state counterparts in Melbourne on Monday. A model for the restructuring and possible sale of private stakes in Big Bash League clubs is the major reason for the conclave, but there are wider issues at stake. The shape of t