Cricket Australia's top officials have refuted claims of endorsing a merger between the Melbourne Stars and Renegades, aimed at freeing a BBL licence for private investment. The denial came during a tense meeting with state representatives, amid broader discussions on the future structure of the Big Bash League and alternative revenue strategies.
Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and chief executive Todd Greenberg have denied approving Cricket Victoria ’s plans to merge the Melbourne Stars and Renegades in order to free up a BBL licence for sale to private investors.
In an occasionally heated virtual meeting with the chairs and chief executives of the five states other than Victoria on Thursday afternoon, CA stressed that nothing had formally been approved or applied for in terms of a caretaker set-up for the Renegades. This is despite informal discussions between CA and CV about taking the Renegades out of the state association’s office at Junction Oval and temporarily moving it to CA’s headquarters at Jolimont near the MCG.
State chiefs spoken to by this masthead on Thursday evening were sceptical about CA’s explanations, and were looking ahead to a set of CEOs meetings next week, and then a meeting of CA and state chairs on June 15. Those meetings are intended to discuss CA’s revised “self-determination” proposal for the sale of stakes in BBL clubs, while Cricket NSW is also seeking to discuss its alternative strategy for raising revenue without selling off clubs.
“We had productive discussions with several state chairs and CEOs today to ensure talks about the possible inclusion of private investment in the Big Bash Leagues remain fully aligned,” Greenberg said on Thursday.in the event of private investment was not ideal, but we understand their challenges. “It is very important to restate that Cricket Australia, the States and the ACA all have the best interests of Australian cricket at heart, and we will continue discussions to find the best way forward.
”Nick Cummins, the CV chief executive, had earlier told this masthead that, despite formalising plans to merge the staff of the Stars and Renegades and extinguish the brands of the two clubs, the sale of the licence for the Renegades still had to be approved by the CA board and the ACA.
“First we’ve got to get the CA board’s final sign-off and then the ACA negotiation has to take place after that,” he said. “So we’re not at the point of looking at buyers or anything like that yet. ”
Cricket Australia Mike Baird Todd Greenberg Cricket Victoria Melbourne Stars Renegades BBL Big Bash League Private Investment Merger Licence Sale State Associations Cricket NSW Nick Cummins
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