Cricket Australia and all six state associations reached an in-principle agreement on BBL privatisation on Monday afternoon in Melbourne. But the deal cannot move forward. The Australian Cricketers Association has formally blocked it, saying the current proposal does not protect players fairly. Without the ACA’s approval, privatisation cannot legally proceed.
What Happened the Night Before the Vote
The night before Monday’s landmark meeting, ACA chief executive Paul Marsh sent an email to every Australian player. The message was blunt and clear. The ACA would not support Cricket Australia’s current privatisation proposal.
Marsh said Australian cricket was not currently united on the right path to privatisation. He made it clear that the current proposal does not improve the existing player revenue share arrangement, does not provide salary increases for all player groups, and fails to address the priorities players had already presented to Cricket Australia.
The current player salary pool in the BBL sits at just over three million dollars. The highest earners receive close to 420,000 dollars per season. The ACA wants assurances that selling BBL clubs will generate real, long-term financial benefits for players at every level, not just the top earners.
States Said Yes Anyway
Despite the ACA’s rejection, Monday’s meeting produced a significant outcome. Cricket Australia and all six state associations agreed in principle to proceed with a self-determination model of private investment in the BBL.
Under this model, each state can individually choose whether to sell part or all of their BBL club licence to private investors. No state is forced into a collective decision. CA chair Mike Baird described the discussions as very productive and said the group had continued the momentum toward optimising the Big Bash League for the benefit of the entire game.
Cricket Victoria is expected to be the first state to go to market once all conditions are met. They have already made administrative changes, including merging the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades staff structures, and are moving forward on coaching structures for both clubs.
Why the ACA Blocking This Matters So Much
This is the part that makes Monday’s agreement far less significant than it sounds. The constitution of Australian cricket is clear on one point. Privatisation cannot proceed without ACA agreement. That is not a negotiating position. It is a legal requirement.
The ACA is not opposed to privatisation in principle. Marsh made that clear in his email. What they oppose is a deal that leaves players no better off than they are today. As Marsh put it, the sale of these clubs is permanent. Getting it wrong now cannot be undone later. Private ownership has transformed other competitions around the world — you can read more about how franchise leagues have reshaped the global game in our analysis of the impact of franchise leagues on cricket.
Four Conditions Must Be Met Before Any Club Can Be Sold
The in-principle agreement between CA and the states comes with four mandatory requirements. All four must be resolved before any privatisation can legally happen.
The governance structure for the new BBL must be agreed. Cricket Australia’s own governance structure must be updated to reflect the new operating model. An agreement with the ACA on player revenue and salaries must be reached. And individual funding and distribution deals between Cricket Australia and each state must be finalised.
The third condition is the one that blocks everything right now. Without the ACA deal, nothing else can move. Cricket Australia must return to the negotiating table with a proposal that genuinely improves the financial position of players across all levels of the competition.
What Happens Next and When Will BBL Privatisation Actually Happen
The 2026 to 2027 BBL season will look exactly the same as last season. No changes will be in place by December. A caretaker administration for the Melbourne Renegades now looks likely for the coming season given the uncertainty around their future ownership.
Having changes ready for the 2027 to 2028 season has always been Cricket Australia’s target. That timeline is still achievable but only if the ACA deal is resolved quickly. The BBL currently ranks among the top cricket leagues in the world — private investment, if handled properly, could push it even higher. CA and the ACA will now enter a new phase of negotiations with both sides saying they want privatisation to work.
Conclusion
Monday was both a step forward and a step back for BBL privatisation on the same day. The states are ready to move. Cricket Australia has a framework in place. But none of it matters until the players are treated fairly. The ACA has made its position clear. Cricket Australia now needs to come back with a better offer. Until they do, the biggest structural change in Australian cricket history remains on hold.
