The Big Bash does not need rescuing via private ownership. It needs protecting

April 3, 2026 — 7:00pm

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I have spent a lifetime in cricket – as a player, captain, coach, and selector – and I have seen how easily the game can be shaped, and sometimes distorted, by money and outside interests.

When the conversation turns to privatising the Big Bash League (BBL), I view it with deep caution.

Australian cricket has thrived by keeping control of its own destiny. To surrender even part of that control now would be a grave and unnecessary mistake, with consequences that could echo for decades.

Around 2012, when the BBL was embryonic, Darshak Mehta – chairman and co-founder of The Chappell Foundation – along with a couple of associates (one of whom remains a leading figure in Australian cricket circles), attempted to buy the Sydney Sixers franchise.

They passionately believed in the competition’s potential. But without proper due diligence, they were unable to assemble a compelling bid and ultimately walked away, frustrated. Back then, you might have called Darshak a poacher. Today, he is very much a gamekeeper.

He cares deeply about the long-term health of Australian cricket, and his perspective has evolved with experience: Cricket Australia and the state associations should steer well clear of privatising the BBL.

That early episode is instructive. It shows both the long-standing commercial interest in the league and the importance of resisting the urge to act prematurely or without full consideration of the consequences. The BBL has since grown into a thriving competition under its existing model – one that reflects Australian cricket’s broader philosophy of central coordination and shared benefit.

Today, however, privatisation is once again on the agenda. Proposals reportedly include selling stakes of up to 49 per cent in several teams, and even full ownership of select franchises in Melbourne and Sydney. Such a move could generate more than $500 million.

The argument is that this injection would allow the league to keep pace with the financial might of competitions such as the Indian Premier League and South Africa’s SA20. But the allure of fast money should not blind us to the long-term risks.

The BBL is not a failing enterprise in need of rescue. It is, by most meaningful measures, a success. The current hybrid model – where Cricket Australia owns the league and its clubs, while state associations manage them – has proven stable and effective. It has produced a competition that is entertaining, accessible, and deeply embedded in the Australian summer.

Recent seasons have reinforced this strength. BBL|15, for example, was among the........

© The Sydney Morning Herald