Overview
- Cricket Victoria told staff on June 2 that it will merge the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades into a single ‘Melbourne’ franchise and aims to sell the freed second Big Bash licence to private buyers.
- Any sale must be approved by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association, and New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia have sought urgent talks to challenge or clarify the plan.
- Players were largely not briefed at the same time as staff, prompting the ACA to say the announcement created confusion, uncertainty and anxiety about contracts, rosters and lists for the 2026–27 season.
- Reporting indicates the merged club would be based at the MCG, likely adopt navy blue colours, keep roughly ten contracted players from each side as a core group, and appoint former Renegades GM James Rosengarten to run the new setup.
- Cricket Victoria says interest has come from investors in India, the United States and Europe, and sources say a sale could close within weeks to months if approvals are secured with the outcome determining whether the BBL fields eight teams next season.