Big Bash League privatisation a must, says interim chair David Boon as Cricket Australia swings back into the black in 2025-26 financial year
Updated ,first published
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has revealed he is in “deep conversations” with national selectors about regenerating an ageing Test team, as it emerged contract discussions with coach Andrew McDonald had also opened.
Speaking after Wednesday’s CA annual general meeting, where the organisation revealed it had taken a combined $20 million hit because of a pair of two-day Ashes Tests last summer, Greenberg said he was aware selection chairman George Bailey and his panel had tough decisions to make.
The futures of Steve Smith, 37, Nathan Lyon, 38, Scott Boland, 37, Mitchell Starc, 36, Josh Hazlewood, 35, and skipper Pat Cummins, 33, who have been central to a largely winning era, are up for debate, while Marnus Labuschagne, 32, is fighting for his Test future in the ongoing third and final Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Greenberg has just returned from South Africa, where selection, particularly heading into Newlands, had been contentious, with three players dropped, and Smith out because of injury.
“Yes, we are in deep conversations about how this team will look and operate over the next six, 12, 18, 24 months,” Greenberg said.
“You know, we’re in a generation of some of the best players that have ever played, so we’re in a very fortunate position. But we have an eye on what that looks like after they finish their playing days. We don’t know when that will be but, of course, we’ve got to have an eye on what the transition looks like.”
After a home Test summer against New Zealand, Australia have heavy-duty tours of India and England to negotiate.
McDonald, who boasts a fantastic record since replacing Justin Langer in 2022, is contracted until the end of next year’s World Cup in South Africa. An industry source, not authorised to speak publicly, said McDonald’s focus was on the current tour, but he was “open” to coaching on. However, this may only be a short-term deal ushering in a new era, with the role eventually split between red-ball and white-ball coaches.
“Yes, we are talking to Andrew about his contractual status and what that means going forward. He’s held in incredibly high regard by the Cricket Australia board and by all of us,” Greenberg said.
“I think he’s done an outstanding job, and I think his results tell you that. But in saying that, there’s also an eye of what’s coming next, and there’s, no doubt, that there’ll be a transition of this team, and we want to make sure that we can have oversight of that so that we protect and thrive into the next phase, whoever that might be.”
Outgoing chairman Mike Baird presided over his final AGM, having last month lost the support of his home state, Cricket NSW, to carry on as a director, amid ructions over plans to privatise BBL clubs. NSW has vehemently opposed privatisation.
However, David Boon, who assumed the role of interim chair on Wednesday following Baird’s official departure, declared the sport’s governing body would plough on with the contentious plans that have attracted interest from up to 30 Indian, European and US-based entities, who have had access to a data room.
Cricket Victoria is pushing to sell-off 100 per cent of the Melbourne Renegades by the end of this year, while Greenberg said Tasmania, through the Hobart Hurricanes, and Western Australia, through the Perth Scorchers, were “actively engaged” in the “self-determination” model suggested by South Australia.
CA are running a search to appoint a full-time chair, with Baird throwing his strong support behind Boon for the role.
In his farewell speech, Baird maintained privatisation was needed to ensure long-term investment in Australian cricket.
“There has been a difference in opinion and that’s what happens. In life, you will face all types of different challenges and opportunities. You don’t always agree. We are in a position where not everyone agrees and that can co-exist, we can still move forward, but not necessarily all agree,” Baird said.
“Certainly from a CA point of view … we think that a few private partners in our Big Bash clubs helps to secure our future, can make us collectively better, with a strong belief that private investment with appropriate safeguards can keep the Big Bash as the dominant league, can keep the January window the dominant window for Big Bash outside of the IPL … we think this good. Long term, we think this is exciting for fans, it gives us a stronger financial future.”
Baird and Greenberg said the traditional festive season dates of the Melbourne and Sydney Tests were safe under the current broadcast rights deals with Seven and Dazn Sports expiring in 2031, but there was a kicker from each man.
“You know, can we say that that’s going to be the same position forever? Well, you know, that might be for future generations to decide,” said Baird, who has been replaced on the CA board by former Test batsman Ed Cowan.
CA was able to declare a net profit of $81.8 million for the 2025-26 season, a $93.2m turnaround and $2.9 million ahead of budget, because of a home Ashes series and a white-ball series against India. CA suffered a net loss of $11.3 million in 2024-25, and a whopping $31.9 million loss in 2023-24.
However, this year’s profit would have been more had the Perth and Melbourne Ashes Tests each gone longer than two days, leaving CA $20 million short through lost ticket tales and broadcast rights.
“That [the pair of two-day Tests] was a challenge for us last year because the board set us a budget of which we’ve just beaten this year, and that’s a pretty solid outcome given the fact that we had two two-day Test matches. But we’re overachieved in some other areas, like non-commercial, non-broadcast revenue,” Greenberg said.
CA said the Ashes series was the highest-rating Test series since the partnership of broadcasters Fox Sports and Seven, with a daily average audience of 1.76 million. A total of 859,580 fans, averaging 47,754, attended the 18 days of cricket.
Overall, CA posted record revenue of $601.1 million for the season.
Greenberg warned there would be “significant losses” over the next two years because of scheduling and a cyclical decline in media revenue.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.