Story perspectives

Mike Baird Resigns After NSW Withdraws Support for BBL Sale

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 3:57 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Mike Baird Resigns

Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird resigns after NSW withdraws support over Big Bash League privatisation.
Cricket Australia approved a model on 8 September letting states decide BBL club sales.
Cricket NSW rejected the model, warning it could leave the state financially worse off.
David Boon becomes interim CA chair at the AGM on 28 October.
His exit will prompt an ICC reshuffle, where he chairs the financial affairs committee.

Summary

Queensland Cricket Rejects Privatization

Baird’s record of privatizing major NSW assets fuels NSW’s opposition to a BBL sale.
Victoria has dissolved the branding of its BBL franchises while searching for buyers.
Queensland Cricket joins Cricket NSW in rejecting the privatisation model, citing financial risk.
Critics warn future owners could require QR-code purchases and raise merchandise prices to $79.
Fans fear the league’s quirky culture may disappear if private equity or overseas billionaires take control.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 the Australian Cricket Board sold its TV rights to the Nine Network, echoing the 1977 Nine Network deal that Kerry Packer used to commercialise the sport. The board, founded in 1905 and incorporated in 1982, has since pursued asset monetisation, leading Cricket Australia’s 2024 Big Bash privatisation plan, opposed by Mike Baird, Cricket NSW and Queensland Cricket.

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Mike Baird Resigns

Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird resigns after NSW withdraws support over Big Bash League privatisation.
Cricket Australia approved a model on 8 September letting states decide BBL club sales.
Cricket NSW rejected the model, warning it could leave the state financially worse off.
David Boon becomes interim CA chair at the AGM on 28 October.
His exit will prompt an ICC reshuffle, where he chairs the financial affairs committee.

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