By Arjun 
In the past week, state association representatives have given their “in-principle” support behind a self-determination model with respect to what happens to BBL privatisation at an executives meeting at Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Melbourne. A revision of this strategy would see each state have the discretion to determine if they wanted to sell down or all-out their stake in their BBL franchises, and when that happens.
It is the most high-profile landmark development to come out of a protracted process that has sparked fierce debate across Australian cricket. NSW, Queensland and South Australia have also signed off on Cricket Australia’s proposal for the first time following previous reservations about some elements of the plan. Cricket Victoria have been among the more proactive states around new models while Western Australia and Tasmania have already backed private investment.
But, even with this landmark, the road ahead is unclear. Gaining the green light from the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA): which is vehemently against this proposal – remains one of the hardest challenges. The bridge was seen as a crucial breakthrough in negotiations, with the Australian Cricketers’ Association flagging last week that it would resist the current framework.
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The deal reached by the state heads would now go back to their boards for further discussion and deliberation, Cricket Australia said. The stakeholders hailed the result as a reflection of solidarity and optimism for the next step in negotiations.
Cricket Victoria could come to the market with a private equity partner for its BBL clubs, potentially being the first state domestic side to test appetite for private investment, conditions permitting. This would help define the potential value of franchises and give a more coherent view of investor interest in the competition – such as where future investment is likely to come from.
The idea of states having more ability to control their own destiny is popular, but BBL privatisation is still a long way from being finished. Negotiations are ongoing, but the next months for the league could very possibly decide its fiscal and operational future with so many important decision makers at odds.