Cricket's soul is on the line, and no amount of money will bring it back
The tectonic plates beneath Australian cricket are shifting. Behind the smiles and statements of opportunity, there's an uneasy murmur sweeping through dressing rooms, state associations, grassroots clubs and the faithful fan base. Cricket Australia (CA), in partnership with global consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG), is contemplating the partial sale of Big Bash League franchises to private investors —a move loaded with both financial promise and cultural peril.
Is Australian cricket at the dawn of a bold new era, or standing on the edge of a slippery slope from which there is no return?
CA's motives are clear. Rising player salaries, fragmented broadcast audiences, and increasing competition from rival T20 leagues like the IPL, SA20, and ILT20 have left BBL struggling for oxygen. Fan engagement has stalled post-COVID. Talent retention is difficult when rival leagues offer more money. CA believes fresh capital from private investors could boost the BBL and help Australian cricket remain competitive in the increasingly saturated global T20 market.
But at what cost?
The model CA is considering mirrors that of the ECB's sale of stakes in The Hundred. Foreign conglomerates such as Reliance, GMR, and RPSG now have part-ownership of UK-based teams. While this injected more than $1 billion into English cricket, it came at a cost: declining authority for the ECB, a marginalised County Championship, and growing signs of a 'club over country' allegiance among players.
This is the 'footballisation' of cricket—a world in which players are owned commodities, loyalty lies with brand-backed franchises, and national boards slowly become nominal caretakers of a once-proud tradition. If Australia goes down this path, will the Baggy Green become just another line in a sponsorship portfolio?
Who will have control of the players? This is the $64 million question that cuts to the heart of the issue. Private ownership serves private interests. And with IPL owners reportedly keen to acquire BBL franchises, the precedent is already clear: players will float across borders on club contracts, like itinerant footballers in Europe. The windows for Test cricket worldwide will come under more pressure. Sheffield Shield will be devalued further, and reduced to a talent pool feeding foreign leagues for free. And young Australian players will inevitably prioritise their franchise careers over a future in the Baggy Green.
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