Cricket Victoria has formally moved to restructure its two Big Bash League franchises, with the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades set to merge into a single Cricket Victoria-operated entity while one licence is prepared for sale to external investors, according to SEN’s Tom Morris. Staff at both clubs were briefed on the development on Tuesday, with IPL-linked investment groups widely reported to be the frontrunners to acquire the second licence and rebrand the franchise entirely.
A new single Melbourne identity
The merged club will continue to carry the Melbourne name under existing BBL regulations and is expected to make the MCG its primary home ground. Navy blue — Victoria’s traditional state colour — is anticipated to replace the green of the Stars and the red of the Renegades as the unified club’s identity takes shape. Code Sports reported the Bushrangers name as one option under consideration for the rebranded entity, though reservations have emerged around whether that moniker translates appropriately to the women’s Big Bash League.
The playing stocks of both clubs will remain largely unchanged in the short term, with the restructure focused on governance and administration rather than any immediate on-field consolidation. The Renegades licence is the vehicle expected to be sold, with earlier reports suggesting a future ownership group could operate across multiple venues including the MCG, GMHBA Stadium, and Junction Oval — a model drawing comparisons to Melbourne’s A-League structure, where locally owned Melbourne Victory coexists with foreign-owned Melbourne City.
Operational changes and uncertain futures
The transition carries significant consequences for staff and leadership across both clubs. Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten is expected to head the Cricket Victoria-operated club, while departing Stars General Manager Max Abbott may lead the Renegades in a caretaker capacity should the franchise be required to play the 2026-27 season before a sale is completed. The recent departure of Cricket Victoria’s men’s cricket chief Dave Hussey — who has moved to the Melbourne Cricket Academy — has created a further vacancy expected to be filled by either Clint McKay or Wade Seccombe. Coaches Peter Moores at the Stars and Cameron White at the Renegades both face uncertain futures, with a number of marketing staff across both clubs also likely to be affected.
Cricket Victoria’s formal position
Cricket Victoria confirmed the process through an official statement. “Cricket Victoria will commence preparations for an expression of interest (EOI) phase to explore the potential sale of one of its two Big Bash League licenses,” the governing body said. “The process follows ongoing discussions about the future ownership structure of Big Bash clubs and the opportunity for private investment to support the next phase of growth for the competition,” it added.
Cricket Victoria Chairman Ross Hepburn outlined the board’s motivation for pursuing the change. “We have a responsibility to ensure Victorian cricket remains strong, now and for the future,” he said. “This process gives us an opportunity to explore new investment that could strengthen the game at every level and ensure cricket continues to thrive across the state for generations to come,” Hepburn added.
A federation divided
Victoria’s decision to move independently sits within a broader and still unresolved national debate about BBL ownership. Cricket Australia’s push to introduce private investors into the competition from the 2027-28 season was shelved in April after Queensland joined New South Wales in rejecting the proposal, as previously reported by cricexec. Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer Todd Greenberg, speaking to reporters at the time, identified the states backing change. “Then three other states, Victoria, WA and Tasmania who are very strong and very supportive at the opportunity to bring private capital into their states,” he said.
South Australia has taken a middle position on the question. “South Australia are in a hybrid situation where they would like the ability for some states to take the opportunity to bring private capital in, and for some states to come in later at their choice,” Greenberg noted. On the states opposed, he was equally direct. “NSW and Queensland are certainly not supportive of private capital. NSW have an alternative model to self-fund it. Queensland don’t have an alternative model. But they don’t believe private capital is something for them,” he added.
Managing six member associations with sharply differing views has defined Cricket Australia’s challenge throughout this process. “So if you’re sitting in my shoes, with a federated model and six members, that’s why it’s difficult,” Greenberg said.
What is at stake
The Renegades hold the distinction of being the only Melbourne franchise to have won a BBL title, claiming the 2018-19 championship. The Stars, by contrast, remain the competition’s only titleless franchise despite reaching the final on three occasions. Victoria’s move establishes it as the first state association to formally advance a privatisation process — and sets a precedent that could reshape the BBL’s ownership landscape for years to come.
