'Full stop': Cricket Australia boss adamant Big Bash League won't be sold to India amid 'overblown' fears
Cricket Australia has a key message for everyone involved in the game as they consider selling off ownership of Big Bash League teams.
And that is that they won't allow it to become an IPL lite, with CEO Todd Greenberg saying the competition won't sell its soul to India.
As CA looks to add to its revenue and make the game more profitable, following years of operating losses, the selling off of BBL teams has been strongly considered.
READ MORE: Angry McIlroy snaps at fan as Smith returns to big time
READ MORE: Daley explains brutal axing as six Blues debutants named
READ MORE: 'It's difficult': Billy lifts lid on Walsh snub in new spine
Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg speaks to media in 2025. Getty Images for Cricket Austral
The most likely buyers of those teams would be the Indian Premier League franchises, who have done similarly with The Hundred in the UK and other competitions around the world.
However, despite the financial windfall it would bring, it has polarised the states, with New South Wales and Queensland opposing privatisation, while Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania are in favour of it. South Australia appears to be somewhat on the fence.
Greenberg admits they have a lot of work left to do in order to convince the naysayers, while also weighing up the best option for the league themselves.
"Certainly the three states being Victoria, WA and Tasmania are very keen to continue to progress, and they're actively engaged in those plans," Greenberg told SEN.
"In saying that, what we have to be satisfied, we being Cricket Australia, the governing body, we have to be satisfied on a couple of fronts.
"One is, can we continue to operate a league with different ownership models?
"So, in other words, can we run the Big Bash (with), some (teams) having some private capital and ownership, and some others being traditional models?
"I think the answer to that is yes. But we have to do the piece of work first.
David Warner and Sam Konstas of the Thunder. Getty
"Second of all, I've been really clear all the way through this that I think maximising value for the sport is where everyone goes together.
"If we end up not going together at the same time, can we still extract the same level of revenue, and can we extract the same level of value?
"And again, I think we can, but I've got to do the work to satisfy a recommendation that would ultimately go to the members and our board."
Greenberg says the fear surrounding an Indian takeover of the BBL is "overblown".
Some have suggested a sale to IPL owners would turn the Big Bash into just another T20 league featuring the same players as we see in every other short form competition around the world.
Whereas the heart of the BBL comes from the domestic Australian players who have made a name for themselves at home.
"India are such a huge part of cricket, but we're not looking to sell the game to India," Greenberg said.
"That's it, full stop. We are looking to add value to our clubs and bring good partners in, and the decision on who those partners are at the behest of the states.
"So, it's on them to choose their partners.
Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifts the IPL trophy in 2025. Getty
"Now, in relation to India, what I find a little polarising is almost every business (and) every government agency I talk to are desperately keen to do business in India to create diplomacy, trade and opportunity.
"So, the flip of that is that we would look to do that in our country as well, in some parts of the BBL, not the entire part.
"I think we've gotta have a very open mind. I don't think we should be closing our minds to any type of partner who wants to come into cricket. The idea is to add value to cricket, not take it away."
Greenberg admits they could have done a better job communicating that sentiment to ease those fears sooner.
"There's no doubt we could have and should have done a better job of the public narrative of why we're doing private capital and why the concept of private capital is valuable for Australian cricket," he added.
"I do think it's easy to run the other argument because ultimately, people don't like change in any form of life, cricket particularly, change comes hard.
Aaron Hardie of the Scorchers celebrates the wicket of Steve Smith. Getty
"So, on reflection, we probably could have and should have done a better job of that.
"In saying that, we have desperately tried to run this project with our stakeholders, with our members, with our players, and have a good natural discourse through that.
"One of the things I am proud of is, despite some tension in the system, relationships are really strong. We've got alternate views, but those views are well heard.
"I maintain really good relationships, as does our board, with all of our counterparts, and that's fine, because healthy debate is a good thing for cricket. We should be debating these issues.
"These are big conversations to have, so we've gotta be having them together."
Cricket Australia posted an operating loss of $11.3m for the 2024/2025 financial year.
Following an Ashes summer with multiple shortened Test matches, they are expected to post a similar result across 2025/2026.
Some estimates have suggested that selling all eight Big Bash teams could net CA as much as $800m.
