CA cancels proposed BBL privatisation .... for now

PL reports that Australian cricket finds itself a game divided with states taking opposite sides on privatisation proposal

Cricket Australia’s push to partially privatise the Big Bash League has failed and now finds itself administering a game divided down the middle between those who want to privatise and those who don’t.

Et Al reported this morning that Queensland, which had asked for extra time to consider the proposal, had joined NSW in opposing the sale. CA had plans to take five teams to market, but revealed South Australia was also uncommitted, leaving it with just Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania keen to test the market.

The decision is a blow to chair Mike Baird and chief executive Todd Greenberg, who have driven the process and may further divide states with three supporting the sale and three against. Part of Victoria’s rationale to back the sale was that it could not face the level of funding cuts threatened if it didn’t go ahead.