Cricket Australia’s (CA) push to privatise the Big Bash League (BBL) has run into serious resistance, with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) refusing to support the proposal in its current form. The dispute has raised fresh uncertainty over the future structure of Australia’s premier T20 competition.
ACA chief executive Paul Marsh has formally written to CA, flagging major concerns over how the proposed model affects players. According to the association, the current framework does not adequately protect cricketers’ financial interests and fails to improve revenue distribution.
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The controversy comes after Cricket Victoria announced plans involving major structural changes, including the sale of the Melbourne Renegades and a rebranding of the Melbourne Stars. Under the proposal, the Stars would be renamed simply “Melbourne”, with further branding changes under discussion.
As part of the broader restructuring vision, ownership rights and stadium control—including matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)—would shift under new franchise arrangements. However, any such sale remains subject to approval from players under existing BBL governance rules.
Marsh warned that Australian cricket is not aligned on the direction of privatisation, pointing to recent instability around franchise restructuring as evidence of deeper disagreement within the system.
