Queensland Cricket joins New South Wales in opposing Cricket Australia's plan to privatise the Big Bash League teams in 2026.
Cricket Australia presented a privatisation model to the six state chief executives in Melbourne in late March, but New South Wales, which controls the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder, strongly rejected the proposal. Queensland, which operates the Brisbane Heat, initially requested additional time and clarity on several aspects of the plan after a board meeting two weeks prior. After further discussions with Cricket Australia, Queensland decided to align with New South Wales in fully rejecting the privatisation proposal. Both states have now formally communicated their stance to Cricket Australia.
Queensland Cricket informed Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg and chair Mike Baird of their decision on Wednesday, followed by a public statement on Thursday detailing their position. The statement read, "The Board and Management of Queensland Cricket have carefully considered the proposal to participate in the privatisation of Big Bash League (BBL) Teams, including the Brisbane Heat." The board emphasized their productive relationship with Cricket Australia over the past year while working toward the best outcomes for both parties and the sport. Queensland Cricket confirmed they will not proceed to the next phase of the sales process and prefer to collaborate with Cricket Australia to grow the BBL without selling a minority stake in the Brisbane Heat.
Todd Greenberg acknowledged that Cricket Australia will now explore alternative privatisation models following the rejection by New South Wales and Queensland. He noted the challenge posed by the differing positions of the six states. Greenberg explained, "New South Wales and Queensland are certainly not supportive of private capital." While New South Wales proposed a self-funding model, Queensland lacks an alternative but opposes private investment. South Australia supports a hybrid approach allowing some states to accept private capital while others can join later at their discretion. Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania remain strong supporters of private capital involvement.
Todd Greenberg highlighted the distinction between Queensland's and New South Wales' opposition to privatisation. He stated, "There's difference between the two nos," explaining that Queensland opposes growth in player payments, whereas New South Wales believes additional investment is needed for the BBL and player salaries but prefers self-funding over private capital. New South Wales proposes increasing wagering revenue through legal mechanisms, believing the BBL is not extracting the same value as other Australian sports leagues from the betting industry. Cricket Australia firmly rejects this approach, with Greenberg stating, "Our view is that that's not a step that the sport would accept. To back itself on wagering is not a way to fund the game."
Cricket Australia aims to increase overall revenue for the Big Bash League and the broader organisation through privatisation to ensure player payments remain competitive globally. The concern is that Australian players may choose overseas franchise cricket if local earnings do not match global standards. Todd Greenberg warned, "Without an increase in player payments, we are at risk over time," adding that maintaining pace with global market demands without private capital is a significant challenge. Currently, no Australian player earns more than AUD$400,000 in a single BBL season, while South African players Dewald Brevis and Aiden Markram earned over AUD$1 million in the SA20 last season.
Cricket Australia addressed concerns about losing control of the sport to foreign investors by proposing a model where capital enters clubs rather than the league or governing body. Greenberg explained that the funds would support clubs without affecting decision-making in the sport. He stated, "The capital comes into the clubs, not into the league, not into the governing body, so not into the decision-making of the sport as such." He further noted that the differing views among states reflect varying risk appetites and desired partnerships, with some states interested in IPL ownership while others oppose it entirely.
Cricket Australia is now considering a hybrid privatisation model similar to South Australia's proposal, though it will require time to evaluate its feasibility. The organisation had planned to keep the BBL in its current form for the 2026-27 season before transitioning to a privately invested league in 2027-28. The current broadcast agreement with Channel Seven and Foxtel is set to run until 2031, providing a stable timeline for potential changes.