David Boon walked on to one of the stickier wickets in Australian sport on Wednesday, after Cricket Australia warned the national pastime faces years of financial losses and a period of “cost minimisation”. The outlook is grim, and that’s without a glance towards a cricketing world of emboldened match-fixers and upturned by Indian interests, facing an Australian summer that is no longer the country’s own.
The moustached former Test No 3 batter was sent into the middle due to the ousting of Mike Baird, whose place as chair was pulled out from under him by New South Wales officials unhappy at the manner of his pursuit of BBL private investment.
Millions may flow from sales of the Melbourne Renegades – for whom a buyer could be found before the end of the year – and other franchises. That would soften the bruising of the financial fall in the down phase of Australian cricket’s four-year, Ashes-to-Ashes cycle, courtesy of the international sports investment community. A comfortable bed of banknotes not unlike that kept by Scrooge McDuck, given the price touted for the Renegades alone would single-handedly turn around three years’ worth of CA deficits.
With the “right protections, right safeguards, the right investment, the right opportunities”, as Baird espoused on Wednesday, young cricketers might even end up with something that benefits them more than MI Melbourne. Yet landing the not straightforward privatisation is only the first task of many for Boon in a delicate time for the sport.
The Tasmanian – who has spent his post-playing career as a selector and ICC match referee – is formally taking on the role in an interim manner, though he has wide support to take the post on a permanent basis, working in concert with a board and chief executive Todd Greenberg.
From his throne alternating between Hobart and Jolimont, Boon will oversee a cricketing fiefdom being dragged into the present day. Cricket Australia officials are desperate to muscle out the likes of the UAE and South Africa from the late-summer franchise cricket window to preserve its status – alongside the IPL and The Hundred – as one of the three major global men’s short-form competitions.
So desperate, in fact, they are prepared to “march ahead” – as Baird said – with privatisation despite falling short of consensus with the states and, so far, the players. “We’ve got a strong belief that private investment, with appropriate safeguards, can keep the Big Bash as the dominant league, it can keep the January window the dominant window for Big Bash outside of the IPL, and we certainly think it connects us into global franchises,” Baird said.
Opening Wednesday’s AGM with a short address, Boon wasted no time in declaring it was full steam ahead for privatisation, “a huge and important project”, despite the presence in the room of new board member Ed Cowan. The former Australian opener was elevated as the new board nomination from New South Wales and is a prominent critic of the BBL plans.
Boon’s stance reflects that of Cricket Tasmania officials, who have sought interest from partners without the help of investment firms managing the Renegades process. Talks are under way with six parties interested in a slice of the Hurricanes, with investment set to be finalised within 12 months.
The Renegades deal might even be locked in before one is reached with the players, a potential source of consternation for investors wanting buy-in from Australia’s top talent before they write a cheque. On negotiations with the Australian Cricketers Association, Greenberg sounded hopeful but admitted: “We’re a little way apart in that there’s a difference of opinion contractually about how the proceeds of the sale would operate.”
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Uncertainty also surrounds the future of the Australian men’s side. The contract of coach Andrew McDonald is due to expire at the end of next year’s ODI World Cup. “He’s held in incredibly high regard by the Cricket Australia board and by all of us. I think he’s done an outstanding job, and I think his results tell you that,” Greenberg said, before delivering a reality check.
“But in saying that, there’s also an eye on 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.”
In reflecting on his time as chair, Baird volunteered the most pressing decisions that face Boon, and others within international cricket, including the “reinvigoration” of Test cricket, a downturn in TV rights values and corruption.
The NRMA chief executive was close to Jay Shah, the well-connected former BCCI official now chair of the ICC. Although no longer in a formal role, Baird promised to ensure Boon was introduced to the people he needed to meet at the next ICC meeting in Bali next month, and in Chennai when the Renegades meet the Scorchers in December to open the BBL season.
“In that period, I hope I’m able to connect Boonie – he’s someone that’s known and loved across the game, so I’m sure it’s not going to be hard for him to pick it up – but we can’t underestimate the time and effort that goes into that because it’s significant and it’s required for the game,” Baird said. “We need to be at the table shaping it, not watching it take place.”
