The Evolution of the Big Bash League
If you were to distil the cynical criticisms of the Big Bash League and T20 domestic cricket over the last two decades into a few lines, they would be as follows: “It’s a hit and giggle league, results don’t matter” and “Red Melbourne, Green Melbourne, Pink Sydney, Green Sydney … the teams don’t matter”.
Cricket Australia has spent the last 15 years, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, doing everything in their power to convince doubters that those two thoughts are wrong. That the Big Bash League, just like the NRL and the AFL, is a domestic sporting league worth investing in, particularly in your team of choice. This was straightforward for Adelaide, Perth and the other one-team states. Less so in Melbourne and Sydney where teams needed to give you a reason to care beyond the geographical.
Overnight, after 15 years of efforts, Cricket Australia blew all of that work to smithereens in the pursuit of cash, with the announcement that the Stars and Renegades will merge into one entity, while Cricket Victoria’s second BBL licence will be sold off entirely, likely to an Indian Premier League buyer.
The Rise of the Stars and Renegades
The Renegades and Stars were launched with their own independent chief executives and boards with the hopes of creating their own identities from scratch. The Stars were helmed by Eddie McGuire, the president of Collingwood, setting them up with everything that comes with that persona and connection. Big name players, big spending, the MCG and high-energy.
The Renegades meanwhile were led by James Brayshaw, the president of North Melbourne at the time. A smaller Victorian AFL club with a very different vibe, based out of Marvel Stadium. Glenn Maxwell was (and is) the clear face of the Stars. Aaron Finch the same at the Renegades. Shane Warne in a green kit talking broadcasters through his deliveries remains one of the iconic BBL moments.
It took time, but when 80,000 fans rocked up to the MCG in 2016 to watch that year’s Derby, it felt like both teams had truly arrived, both on the field and in the minds of locals.
However, in 2019 Cricket Victoria dissolved those bespoke boards and brought both teams under their control under one roof. Since then, the Renegades in particular have struggled to turn a profit and also struggled to secure a home base long term.
Despite that, the two teams put on arguably the best BBL Final of the competition’s history in 2019, with the Renegades beating the Stars in a thriller. Go back and watch the highlights of that final and you’ll see two distinct fan bases at the MCG and players passionate about their respective teams.
The Future of the Big Bash League
The BBL has had its ups and downs over the years. The league clearly lost momentum in the 2020s, particularly following the broadcasting change and fixture expansion, but has unquestionably found some of its edge back in recent years.
But if you look back at the task in 2011 of establishing two distinct teams in one city, they’ve clearly done a better job than many of the doubters would have guessed. A generation of Victorians is now in its early teens having supported the Renegades or the Stars for their entire lives.
Now, that’s all gone. One Victorian team will now rock a navy blue ‘Big V’ and the other will probably end up as some kind of IPL amalgamation. Regardless, Blue Melbourne and TBD Melbourne are born. Hit and giggle is back. Cricket Victoria has made that clear. It doesn’t matter which team wins or either team’s history and accomplishments.
Pocketing potentially $100m is what matters. And, fair enough. Cricket Australia has been in the red financially since the start of the 2020s and is desperate for a cash injection.
Cricket Victoria boss Nick Cummins reinforced that argument when speaking to The Age on Wednesday. “We’re not doing this for the love of anything other than accepting it as a financial necessity. We’re supporting Cricket Australia in what they believe are the steps that need to be taken to help Australian cricket,” Cummins said. “We don’t want to have our funding cut because that will cascade onto areas we regard as important, so we think we can create a new structure in the new world where we can continue to drive a really successful BBL team, and at the same time protect the things that matter.”
Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins spoke similarly in the aftermath. “When I hear Cricket Australia explaining privatisation, the goal is to keep the Big Bash at the top and reinvest into junior cricket,” Cummins told Kayo. Again, fair enough. It all makes sense.
But the ship has now well-and-truly sailed on any domestic T20 fandom beyond simple state-based loyalties. Good luck getting anybody to care about ‘To Be Named Melbourne Big Bash Franchise No.2’. Get your shovels ready, we’re burying the Melbourne Mace under the carpark at the MCG.
