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Shastri: Why BBL privatisation is 'a win-win'
Nicholas Quinlan • November 11th, 2025 1:42 pm
Former Indian cricketer and coach Ravi Shastri has explained what he told Cricket Australia officials in their secret meeting regarding potentially privatising the Big Bash League.
In July this year, Cricket Australia was handed a report which provided recommendations on how the T20 competition, which is entering its 15th season, can improve and optimise going forward.
In that list of recommendations, it was suggested that the BBL should consider private investment/ownership, which would see the league join the likes of England’s The Hundred and South Africa’s SA20 to take this investment.
It was then reported by Code Sports' Dan Cherny last week that Shastri had met with CA officials in Melbourne to help answer some concerns about the potential private investment.
And as he explained, this was mainly centred around how private investment into the IPL helped the league become the biggest T20 competition in the world.
“It (was) basically on how the IPL started, the success of the IPL, the importance of foreign investment,” Shastri explained on SENQ Breakfast.
“You know, the fears and what you should fear about and things of that sort.”
But as the now commentator elaborated on, he thinks that the decision to allow private investment into the competition would be good for the domestic game and its pathways.
“Well, it’s a win-win all round,” he continued.
“What the IPL has done it has allowed a lot of money to come into the game, the players have benefited, people around cricket have benefited.
“And more importantly than anything else, it allows you to plough money into your grassroots level.
“And then the infrastructure improves, the salary caps of the players improve, you get more international players coming in, and it’s a bigger market.
“So, what started as a small-scale investment is now a massive investment.
“I think Australia needs to be forward thinking because the future of cricket in your own country is how strong your league is.”
The Big Bash League will begin on December 14 with the Perth Scorchers playing the Sydney Sixers at Optus Stadium, with SEN having LIVE coverage of the BBL throughout the season.
