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Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Biggest revolution since Packer: Cricket Australia told to sell off BBL clubs after $2 billion England windfall
For 15 years, from 1979 to 1994, Kerry Packer and the then Australian Cricket Board shared effective ownership of the game's finances under the terms of the 'peace treaty' that ended the World Series Cricket split. Since then, CA and the states have been devoid of private ownership, though a model for private investment was briefly considered at the outset of the BBL in 2011. Franchise cricket has exploded around the world since then, and the BBL is now an outlier in terms of being wholly owned by CA and the states. The level of market interest in buying teams was demonstrated by how the ECB recently raised around $2 billion in funds by selling off 49 per cent stakes in each of the eight clubs in the Hundred. A big share of that windfall arose from a bidding war for the London Spirit franchise, based at Lord's. Importantly, the BCG report also recommended that the BBL hold off expanding the number of clubs until stakes in the existing teams are sold, arguing that expansion would dilute their value. Although CA's board has a regular meeting later this week, it is likely that debate around a final decision will carry on until later in the year. Baird and new chief executive Todd Greenberg are known to prefer building consensus around their decisions. BCG's work was supported by a steering committee that included representation from both CA and the state associations, but there is a range of views on what to do next. Some would like to see the second teams in Sydney and Melbourne – the Thunder and the Renegades – each relocated to other territories. Singapore and New Zealand are two mooted venues, while Canberra has also made a concerted push for a team via Cricket ACT's wealthy chair, Greg Boorer. Another suggestion is for CA to follow the path taken by the VFL way back in 1987, when it expanded the league by selling licences for new clubs in Queensland (the Brisbane Bears) and Western Australia (the West Coast Eagles) without selling stakes in any of the existing clubs. That scenario raised capital for what was then a cash-strapped league without threatening the establishment clubs. Further expansion into Adelaide (Port Adelaide Football Club) and Perth (Fremantle Dockers) in the mid 1990s saw the Fitzroy Lions merged with the Bears in 1996. Loading Primarily, the BBL sales would help to supercharge player wages for the league, which have long lagged behind other competitors in the Southern Hemisphere, notably tournaments in South Africa and the UAE. Ben Stokes, arguably the world's biggest name player outside India, has lately played in South Africa and hasn't been part of the BBL since he played half a season for the Melbourne Renegades in 2015. One of many wider goals of selling BBL team stakes would be to help CA raise its cash reserves to more than $100 million. Greenberg recently made a round of job cuts to the organisation as it seeks to tighten up its budgets. The states, too, have differing financial pressures. In particular, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland don't derive direct revenue from the grounds they play at. The SCG, meanwhile, has been identified as needing considerable upgrades for spectators and the eventual addition of drop-in pitches.
The Age
2 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Biggest revolution since Packer: Cricket Australia told to sell off BBL clubs after $2 billion England windfall
For 15 years, from 1979 to 1994, Kerry Packer and the then Australian Cricket Board shared effective ownership of the game's finances under the terms of the 'peace treaty' that ended the World Series Cricket split. Since then, CA and the states have been devoid of private ownership, though a model for private investment was briefly considered at the outset of the BBL in 2011. Franchise cricket has exploded around the world since then, and the BBL is now an outlier in terms of being wholly owned by CA and the states. The level of market interest in buying teams was demonstrated by how the ECB recently raised around $2 billion in funds by selling off 49 per cent stakes in each of the eight clubs in the Hundred. A big share of that windfall arose from a bidding war for the London Spirit franchise, based at Lord's. Importantly, the BCG report also recommended that the BBL hold off expanding the number of clubs until stakes in the existing teams are sold, arguing that expansion would dilute their value. Although CA's board has a regular meeting later this week, it is likely that debate around a final decision will carry on until later in the year. Baird and new chief executive Todd Greenberg are known to prefer building consensus around their decisions. BCG's work was supported by a steering committee that included representation from both CA and the state associations, but there is a range of views on what to do next. Some would like to see the second teams in Sydney and Melbourne – the Thunder and the Renegades – each relocated to other territories. Singapore and New Zealand are two mooted venues, while Canberra has also made a concerted push for a team via Cricket ACT's wealthy chair, Greg Boorer. Another suggestion is for CA to follow the path taken by the VFL way back in 1987, when it expanded the league by selling licences for new clubs in Queensland (the Brisbane Bears) and Western Australia (the West Coast Eagles) without selling stakes in any of the existing clubs. That scenario raised capital for what was then a cash-strapped league without threatening the establishment clubs. Further expansion into Adelaide (Port Adelaide Football Club) and Perth (Fremantle Dockers) in the mid 1990s saw the Fitzroy Lions merged with the Bears in 1996. Loading Primarily, the BBL sales would help to supercharge player wages for the league, which have long lagged behind other competitors in the Southern Hemisphere, notably tournaments in South Africa and the UAE. Ben Stokes, arguably the world's biggest name player outside India, has lately played in South Africa and hasn't been part of the BBL since he played half a season for the Melbourne Renegades in 2015. One of many wider goals of selling BBL team stakes would be to help CA raise its cash reserves to more than $100 million. Greenberg recently made a round of job cuts to the organisation as it seeks to tighten up its budgets. The states, too, have differing financial pressures. In particular, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland don't derive direct revenue from the grounds they play at. The SCG, meanwhile, has been identified as needing considerable upgrades for spectators and the eventual addition of drop-in pitches.
NDTV
20-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
'When Phil Hughes Got Hit...': England Great, Who Brought 'Motorcycle Helmet To Cricket
Safety equipment in cricket have seen a generational shift in standards since Dennis Amiss wore a motorcycle helmet against the fearsome fast bowlers of 1970s, but the pioneering former England opener understands that rare fatalities such as the tragic death of Australian Phillip Hughes cannot be ruled out entirely. Amiss reshaped the game forever by wearing a rather heavy motorcycle helmet with a polycarbonate visor in the World Series Cricket staged between 1977 and 1979 in Australia. Some of the best fast bowlers of the time such as Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Imran Khan played in the WSC. "People would say that because you were the first person to take a helmet. I went to the WSC. There were 19 fast bowlers who could bowl at 90 miles an hour. Having faced Lillie and Thompson two years previously, knowing the difficulties they gave us, I thought the head is so important," Amiss told PTI. "If you get hit, there's serious consequences. As we saw with Philip Hughes, when he got hit on that vein there and died on the pitch, which was a terrible situation. So, I thought helmets would help. So, I took a motorcycle helmet with a polycarbonate visor to WSC," said Amiss. Amiss, who played 50 Tests and is the first batter to score a hundred in ODIs, was expectedly sledged initially. "I got a lot of stick for it. Hey, Amos, where's your motorbike? But David Hooks got his jaw broken in one match. He was sipping through a straw for six weeks. He said, can I borrow your helmet? I've got to play Andy Roberts. He did. "The first ball he faced bounced straight at his head, and he hooked it for six, which was a great moment. I was watching it and Richie Benaud said that was the defining moment in cricket. This chap's been sipping through a straw for six weeks, having had his jaw broken. "He's got the same bowler, the same ground, pacy wicket, he's hooked it for six out of the ground," said the 82-year-old. You can never be 100% sure about player safety Hughes' untimely death resulted in the ICC bringing in several changes to improve player safety including the introduction of a concussion substitute in Test cricket. Amiss feels the authorities have done a decent job in protecting cricketers but the incident involving Hughes shows that the danger will always lurk around. "If you do put more protective material in, you're going to make it heavier. But it's much lighter now than it ever was before. And it was very heavy and very hot. "I played in Madura (in New South Wales), I think it was. It was humid and hot. I batted all morning against the Aussies, and I nearly passed out. So that was the first one, which was heavy and hot. But then we put in the metal bars, and made it a bit lighter. "I don't think you can be 100% there, but I think we've done a pretty good job in protecting people. I mean, Philip Hughes was very, very unlucky," said Amiss. Bedi saved my Test career Amiss was struggling against the Indian spin trio of Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar in the 1972 series, particularly against the mercurial leg-spinner from Bangalore. With England due to tour Pakistan after the India series, Amiss had to do better his game against spin. That was when his friend at Northamptonshire, Bedi, came to his rescue. "I was left out of the side after two or three Test matches. I wasn't playing particularly well, especially against Mr. Chandrasekhar, who kept getting me out. And we were going to Pakistan afterwards, so I had to get some cricket. "But I couldn't practice because the practice wickets were in the middle where the Test was being played. Bishan came in and had a chat because he was playing county cricket for Northants. "He said, Dennis, why you're not scoring runs. I said, I've got to practice and I can't. We're going to Pakistan and there's not much time. He said, leave it with me. He came back and said, you've got a net. I fixed it." Amiss recalled that Bedi, apart from himself, made both Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan bowl at him. "He said, let the boys go back in the coach (bus) to the hotel. You stay behind. We'll have an hour's practice. I will bowl at you. Prasanna and Venkat will bowl at you, but no Chandrasekhar because he's got the sign over you. And those chaps, they simulated a match about bat and pad. "Mr. Eknath Solkar was such a fine, close fielder, wasn't he? We simulated a match and they would say, that's out or that's not out. That hour was just so important to my career." All those had a bright effect on Amiss' batting during the 1972-73 tour to Pakistan. The three-Test series ended in a 0-0 draw, but Amiss topped the run chart with 406 runs averaging 81 with two hundreds. "It not only got me in a better frame of mind, but I think it probably saved my career because I might not have gone and been in the side in Pakistan straight away. "But I was able to, after that, scored two 100s and a 99 in the next three Test matches in Pakistan because of what Bishan did in that last Test match, which was just unbelievable. That a player on the opposition side should come and help so much," said Amiss.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Phillip Hughes incident shows we can't be 100% sure, says Dennis Amiss, who brought 'motorcycle' helmet to cricket
Safety equipment in cricket have seen a generational shift in standards since Dennis Amiss wore a motorcycle helmet against the fearsome fast bowlers of 1970s, but the pioneering former England opener understands that rare fatalities such as the tragic death of Australian Phillip Hughes cannot be ruled out entirely. Amiss reshaped the game forever by wearing a rather heavy motorcycle helmet with a polycarbonate visor in the World Series Cricket staged between 1977 and 1979 in Australia. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Healthcare Design Thinking Data Science MCA MBA CXO Management Finance healthcare Leadership Degree Project Management Public Policy PGDM Data Analytics Data Science Technology others Operations Management Artificial Intelligence Digital Marketing Others Product Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details Some of the best fast bowlers of the time such as Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Imran Khan played in the WSC. "People would say that because you were the first person to take a helmet. I went to the WSC. There were 19 fast bowlers who could bowl at 90 miles an hour. Having faced Lillie and Thompson two years previously, knowing the difficulties they gave us, I thought the head is so important," Amiss told PTI. "If you get hit, there's serious consequences. As we saw with Philip Hughes, when he got hit on that vein there and died on the pitch, which was a terrible situation. So, I thought helmets would help. So, I took a motorcycle helmet with a polycarbonate visor to WSC," said Amiss. Live Events Amiss, who played 50 Tests and is the first batter to score a hundred in ODIs, was expectedly sledged initially. "I got a lot of stick for it. Hey, Amos, where's your motorbike? But David Hookes got his jaw broken in one match. He was sipping through a straw for six weeks. He said, can I borrow your helmet? I've got to play Andy Roberts. He did. "The first ball he faced bounced straight at his head, and he hooked it for six, which was a great moment. I was watching it and Richie Benaud said that was the defining moment in cricket. This chap's been sipping through a straw for six weeks, having had his jaw broken. "He's got the same bowler, the same ground, pacy wicket, he's hooked it for six out of the ground," said the 82-year-old. You can never be 100% sure about player safety Hughes' untimely death resulted in the ICC bringing in several changes to improve player safety including the introduction of a concussion substitute in Test cricket. Amiss feels the authorities have done a decent job in protecting cricketers but the incident involving Hughes shows that the danger will always lurk around. "If you do put more protective material in, you're going to make it heavier. But it's much lighter now than it ever was before. And it was very heavy and very hot. "I played in Madura (in New South Wales), I think it was. It was humid and hot. I batted all morning against the Aussies, and I nearly passed out. So that was the first one, which was heavy and hot. But then we put in the metal bars, and made it a bit lighter. "I don't think you can be 100% there, but I think we've done a pretty good job in protecting people. I mean, Philip Hughes was very, very unlucky," said Amiss. Bedi saved my Test career Amiss was struggling against the Indian spin trio of Bishan Singh Bedi , Erapalli Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar in the 1972 series, particularly against the mercurial leg-spinner from Bangalore. With England due to tour Pakistan after the India series, Amiss had to do better his game against spin. That was when his friend at Northamptonshire, Bedi, came to his rescue. "I was left out of the side after two or three Test matches. I wasn't playing particularly well, especially against Mr. Chandrasekhar, who kept getting me out. And we were going to Pakistan afterwards, so I had to get some cricket. "But I couldn't practice because the practice wickets were in the middle where the Test was being played. Bishan came in and had a chat because he was playing county cricket for Northants. "He said, Dennis, why you're not scoring runs. I said, I've got to practice and I can't. We're going to Pakistan and there's not much time. He said, leave it with me. He came back and said, you've got a net. I fixed it." Amiss recalled that Bedi, apart from himself, made both Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan bowl at him. "He said, let the boys go back in the coach (bus) to the hotel. You stay behind. We'll have an hour's practice. I will bowl at you. Prasanna and Venkat will bowl at you, but no Chandrasekhar because he's got the sign over you. And those chaps, they simulated a match about bat and pad. "Mr. Eknath Solkar was such a fine, close fielder, wasn't he? We simulated a match and they would say, that's out or that's not out. That hour was just so important to my career." All those had a bright effect on Amiss' batting during the 1972-73 tour to Pakistan. The three-Test series ended in a 0-0 draw, but Amiss topped the run chart with 406 runs averaging 81 with two hundreds. "It not only got me in a better frame of mind, but I think it probably saved my career because I might not have gone and been in the side in Pakistan straight away. "But I was able to, after that, scored two 100s and a 99 in the next three Test matches in Pakistan because of what Bishan did in that last Test match, which was just unbelievable. That a player on the opposition side should come and help so much," said Amiss. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Deccan Herald
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Hughes incident shows we can't be 100% sure about safety: Amiss who brought 'motorcycle' helmet to cricket
Amiss reshaped the game forever by wearing a rather heavy motorcycle helmet with a polycarbonate visor in the World Series Cricket staged between 1977 and 1979 in Australia.
