BBL Privatisation Faces Major Setback as Players Reject Cricket Australia's Proposal

Cricket Australia's plans to privatise the Big Bash League (BBL) have encountered significant resistance after the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) rejected the current proposal. The players' body believes the plan does not adequately protect the interests of cricketers and has demanded improvements before giving its approval.

The dispute comes after Cricket Victoria announced plans to sell the Melbourne Renegades and rebrand the Melbourne Stars. Under the proposal, the Stars would be renamed simply "Melbourne" and continue to play their home matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), while the Renegades franchise would be sold to a new owner. However, any privatisation process requires player approval under existing Cricket Australia and BBL regulations.

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by K D Mishra June 14, 2026

ACA Chief Executive Officer Paul Marsh has formally raised concerns with Cricket Australia, arguing that the game is not united on the best path forward. In a letter to CA, Marsh pointed to the uncertainty surrounding Cricket Victoria's plans and questioned whether the proposed model would deliver fair value to all stakeholders involved in Australian cricket.

"Australian cricket is not currently united on the right path to privatisation. In particular, the recent upheaval around Cricket Victoria's proposed sale of the Renegades and merger with the Stars reinforces our view that the game is not yet aligned on an approach that will deliver the appropriate value in the privatisation process," Marsh said.

ACA Opposes BBL Privatisation Over Player Pay Concerns

The ACA's biggest concern is that players are not set to benefit financially from the proposed sale of franchises. While Cricket Australia and the BBL could generate significant revenue through privatisation, the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reportedly does not include an increase in player revenue share or salary structures. As a result, the players' association has refused to support the proposal in its present form.

Currently, each of the eight BBL franchises receives an allocation of AUD $3.1 million (approximately INR 20.75 crore) for player recruitment, while the maximum salary a player can earn is capped at AUD $420,000 (around INR 2.81 crore). Marsh argued that despite the potential influx of private investment, there are no provisions to increase salary caps or improve earning opportunities for players.

"CA's current MOU proposal to us does not improve on the existing player revenue share arrangement, does not provide for salary increases for all player cohorts, and fails to address the broader priorities players presented to CA. Until CA's offer improves, we cannot consider accepting what is in front of us," Marsh stated.

Cricket Australia is scheduled to hold a meeting with stakeholders on June 15 to discuss the future of the privatisation process. In the meantime, Marsh has urged players to remain patient while negotiations continue, stressing the importance of making the right decision. "It is likely this will take some time, and we ask players to be patient as we do this. Given that any sale of these teams is forever, we need to get this right, now," he concluded.