Hobart Hurricanes BBL Champions (Source: @BBL/X.com)
In what comes as news worth a thought, Cricket Australia (CA) have been told to privatise the clubs in the Big Bash League (BBL). The news comes after an independent report outlined England's sale of stakes in The Hundred franchises.
Big Bash League And Cricket Australia Asked To Go Private
Thorough advice has come from the Boston Consulting Group for Cricket Australia, which has advised selling the stake in the eight teams in the Big Bash League to private investors. For the unversed, all eight teams in the BBL are owned by the state teams, as no such private investors currently exist in the ecosystem, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Whereas in leagues apart from Australia, all major cricketing boards have private entities that have played a key role in the development of local talent, bringing fans to the stadiums, and generating higher revenue for the board.
According to three sources privy to the knowledge, the BCG have presented the review to the CA chair, Mike Baird, alongside all six chairs of the state boards, via video conferencing. The financial analysis done by the group has specifically mentioned that the BBL is in a healthy state; however, to further capitalise on its potential, it is advisable to look toward private investors, mentioning investing as a key element for the growth of the league for cricket in the country.
The fact that more money would mean more players could join in on bigger paychecks is the biggest reason being put down by the Boston Group, who believe that higher paychecks could be the game-changer for cricket clubs in Australia. Effectively, this money could also be utilised for grassroots cricket development.
Cricket Australia Could Look Towards The 'Peace Treaty' As Inspiration
From 1979 until 1994, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and Kerry Packer signed a 15-year deal, where they signed a "Peace Treaty" to end the conflicted World Series Cricket to manage the game's finances, as it helped generate more revenue. The fact that Cricket Australia could use a similar model in terms of how franchises could operate could be the key game-changer in the foreseeable future for the Oceania-based region.
Another major concept mentioned in the report is not to increase the number of teams from 8 to 10 at this time, because it might dilute the stake of the teams to be sold. The BCG has specifically mentioned keeping the additional teams on hold to ensure more value for the teams.
However, any result whatsoever is highly unlikely until the end of the year, when Cricket Australia might have a general meeting discussing the Big Bash's future.
More Teams Likely To Join In Future
In another development, it is being reported that the second franchises from the major cities, Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades, have been considering relocating to new territories in Singapore and New Zealand. However, anything concrete is not yet on the table. Whereas, the Australian Capital Territory region's team from Canberra would also be on the radar for the franchises.
One more suggestion that came on board was that CA could be selling the licenses for the new clubs instead of selling the stakes for the teams in entirety, which could ensure they can retain control over the teams in the future.
The fact that this could be a game-changer for Australian cricket is the reason why this proposal is being seriously considered, since all major private leagues and boards have benefited from this ownership model, where the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) have generated revenue worth 2 billion dollars for The Hundred.
Although private owners would like to have more Australian players feature in the entirety of the tournaments, Cricket Australia would like to address this issue, considering the current window of the BBL clashes with Australia's home Test summer. However, all that might just be sorted when the new investors come on board.
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