September 8, 2026 — 3:40pmA for sale sign has been plastered on the Melbourne Renegades a matter of days after the players’ association pressed the emergency button on their pay impasse with Cricket Australia, as part of a deal that could overturn the whole BBL sale process.On Friday, the Australian Cricketers Association sent a dispute resolution notice to CA, requesting the appointment of a mutually agreed independent arbitrator to settle numerous unresolved issues around the players’ share of any BBL windfall.The Melbourne Renegades are up for sale.Getty ImagesCA pushed ahead with the announcement of the green light to sell the Renegades on Tuesday, while other states continue to mull their options.Pointedly, while the press conference was at the SCG, the cameras were pointed towards Moore Park, rather than the cricket ground itself, after privatisation opponents Cricket NSW objected to the use of the Sydney Sixers’ home as the backdrop to the sale announcement. Cricket NSW is expected to make a public response on Wednesday.Biggest among the ACA’s questions is whether cash raised from the sale of BBL clubs to private investors counts as Australian Cricket Revenue; the pot of money from which the players’ 27.5 per cent share is calculated. ACR includes most significant revenue streams into Australian cricket with a few exceptions.ACA chief executive Paul Marsh confirmed the commencement of a dispute resolution process to this masthead. Cricket Australia will agree to the binding arbitration process.“This is something we broached with CA before today’s announcement, so it is not a reactionary thing,” he said. “It’s coming from a place of trying to find a way forward on an important issue for the players and Australian cricket.“The announcement doesn’t change the work required to be done for privatisation of the BBL to proceed. We’ve still got an MoU to work through, and we want to do that. This issue is a fundamental one that we need to work through.”Marsh stated that the players were willing to give up their 27.5 per cent share of the BBL sale windfall if their overall percentage of Australian cricket revenue increased, something CA and the states have so far refused to countenance.“We are prepared to forego a share of the proceeds if our ongoing share increases,” he said. “But this point is an important one because we believe the deal that’s been negotiated and has been in place for a long time, entitles the players to this.“If you think it through, the value of the BBL, the people who have driven that value are the players. That’s come off the back of 16 seasons of the players’ work.Pat Cummins and Najmul Hossain Shanto share the spoils after the two-Test series between Australia and Bangladesh was drawn 1-1.Getty Images“We think for CA to be putting a position to us where our share of revenue doesn’t change off the back of what will end up being billions of dollars of capital coming in, doesn’t seem particularly fair.”Marsh spoke with Australian players Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Ellyse Perry and Sophie Molineux before they appeared at the Sydney press conference announcing the sale of the Renegades on Tuesday. He stressed that disputes over the definitions of Australian cricket revenue were common, but agreed this one was the biggest yet.Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and CEO Todd Greenberg address the media pack in Sydney.Getty Images“We audit it every year, and there will routinely be disputes over how CA and the states have categorised different revenues, and we work through different grievance positions over the journey,” he said. “So it’s not abnormal, albeit, this is on a scale that hasn’t been seen before.”Marsh’s predecessor at the ACA is Todd Greenberg, now the CA chief executive, who on Tuesday stressed his belief that a deal would be done. “We are in active dialogue with the players’ association, and I’m very confident we can do a deal,” he said.CA chair Mike Baird stressed the need for the sale of clubs to grow more revenue for the game and connect Australian cricket to the burgeoning network of franchises, though New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia are still at varying levels of dispute around the process.The SACA, which coined the “self-determination model”, which allows to states to choose whether to sell independently, has been caught in the middle of the warring states, with Victoria the keenest to sell and NSW the most staunchly opposed.“By opening the door to private investment in the Big Bash leagues, Cricket Australia is taking a deliberate step to strengthen and secure the long-term future of the game,” Baird said. “Accelerate growth and ensuring we can keep investing in community cricket and grassroots participation, domestic and international pathways and the elite level.”Cummins said Australian cricket needed to shore up the amounts of money on offer for cricketers to prevent ensuing generations from playing overseas instead. Cummins had also spoken to Greenberg in the lead up to the announcement, expressing his enthusiasm to attend and to speak.The Perth Scorchers lifted the BBL trophy in January.Getty Images“Two Tests against Bangladesh that just went past, a few of our guys would have fetched probably close to a million dollars going to play in the Hundred, but it’s not even a talking point,” he said. “It’s like, ‘oh no, we’ve got two Test matches on. Of course, we’re going to play them’.“But I don’t think we can say that’s going to be the case forever. The next crop might think a little bit differently. There might be different challenges. I think if this helps unlock and keep Test cricket at the pinnacle and keeps the best players playing Test cricket, then I think that’s a great thing.”Cricket Victoria, which has struggled to make a profit from the Renegades since choosing to sack the inaugural boards and CEOs of the two Melbourne-based clubs in 2019, applauded the decision to sell off the team, which will take part in the BBL in caretaker mode this season ahead of a new owner running the club in 2027-28.The Renegades have already fielded informal expressions of interest from about 10 serious investors, about half of whom are based in India, for 100 per cent sale of the club.“The sales process allows prospective parties to express their interest in purchasing the Melbourne Renegades and demonstrate why they would be the right fit for Victorian cricket,” CV director Shaun Richardson said.“There’s a clear level of interest both locally and internationally, and we’re committed to working alongside Cricket Australia to identify a partner who shares our ambition for cricket in Victoria. Private investment will unlock value for reinvestment across Victorian cricket, from the grassroots through to the elite game.”What they said...From the South Australian Cricket Association:“The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) acknowledges today’s announcement by Cricket Australia that it intends to proceed with a process that allows private investment in BBL clubs.SACA remains in discussions with Cricket Australia regarding key elements of this announcement.However, we note CA’s decision provides SACA with 100 per cent equity ownership and decision-making rights over the Adelaide Strikers’ future ownership structure.While the decision made overnight was Cricket Australia’s to make, SACA reassures its members that no decision has been made with regards to any potential sale of the Adelaide Strikers.”From Queensland Cricket:Chair Kirsten Pike and CEO Terry Svenson said today that Queensland Cricket had yet to see the finer detail of the CA Board’s decision last night.“The proposed self-determination model will need to be carefully examined, and no doubt there are likely to be further questions and clarification,” they said.“Our intention from the outset has been to arrive at a position that is in the best interests of Queensland and Australian Cricket so that our game continues to thrive for not only the next generation but the many generations to follow.“Queensland Cricket has worked very hard to ensure that a self-determination model does not penalise a state for electing not to sell at this stage, and to see no reduction in funding that would affect how we run our cricket programs in Queensland.”From the Western Australian Cricket Association:“The WACA board is carefully considering Perth Scorchers’ involvement in Cricket Australia’s newly approved opt-in privatisation model for the Big Bash Leagues, and expects to formalise its position shortly,” said CEO John Stephenson.“We will communicate that decision as soon as it has been made.”From the Melbourne Renegades:“Cricket Australia today approved bringing private investment into the Big Bash Leagues by commencing a sales process for the Melbourne Renegades, with Cricket Victoria open to finding the right partner to strengthen cricket at all levels in Victoria,” general manager Max Abbott said.“Importantly, our focus remains firmly on the season ahead. Planning continues at pace, including finalising our playing lists and delivering a summer of great cricket and entertainment for families. This has and always will be at the core of the Big Bash.“We will keep members informed if there are further updates to share.”News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.Daniel Brettig is The Age's chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X.Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners