Cricket ACT makes bold bid for Big Bash teams and CA ownership
Cricket ACT is actively advocating to field teams in both the men’s and women’s Big Bash competitions and seeks co-ownership of Cricket Australia (CA), as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
The organisation has submitted a multimillion-dollar bid for a license, engaging with both the federal government and the CA board to make its case.
Despite strong opposition from CA’s state association owners, who are concerned about the potential division of resources and funding challenges, Cricket ACT Chairman Greg Boorer presented the vision during a recent CA committee meeting.
“As we stand today, all it would require would be four of the six states to agree, and also four of the six states to agree for Canberra to have a first-class team or a BBL team,” Boorer stated.
During the New Year’s Test committee meeting, Boorer highlighted the need for a collective approach.
“Naturally, everyone is concerned about the cost, which would mean, in their view, potentially dividing the pie, whereas I think it’s more of a question of growing the pie for everybody to participate on an equal footing,” he said.
Responding to questions from ACT independent senator David Pocock, Cricket ACT outlined its submission, asserting that the inclusion of an additional team would enhance national revenue through broadcast rights and create more opportunities for players in Canberra and across the country.
Manuka Oval, a venue that has previously hosted BBL matches and AFL games, stands as a potential home for the proposed teams. The ACT Comets (formerly Canberra Comets) men’s team remain a treasured part of the region’s cricket history and currently compete in the lower-levels Futures League. The ACT Meteors compete in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL), the premier 50-over women’s cricket competition in Australia.
A multimillion-dollar battle is being waged behind the scenes of Australian cricket, as Cricket ACT pushes to join the six states as co-owners of Cricket Australia and enter teams into the men’s and women’s Big Bash competitions.
Cricket ACT has made presentations to both the…
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Cricket ACT’s statement read:
‘Cricket Australia’s strategic plan (2022-27) is underpinned by the ultimate belief that cricket is truly a game for all, a belief that Cricket ACT also shares.
‘In saying this, however, the current governance structure does not truly reflect this belief, in that the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are not officially recognised in Cricket Australia’s constitution.
‘If cricket is genuinely a sport for all that makes Australians proud (CA’’s vision), then Cricket Australia’s governance structure should be truly representative of the entire Australian population via representation from all eight state/territory jurisdictions.’
With a population of just over 430,000 as of September 2020, the Australian Capital Territory seeks to play a more significant role in Cricket Australia’s strategic plan (2022-27), aligning with the vision that cricket is a game for all Australians.
