The odd scenario facing the Melbourne Stars & Renegades | Additional Editorial (17.06.26)

0.031 - 6.5 Gerard Whateley

Now, back to Whiteley. Two weeks ago, Cricket Victoria struck the Stars and the Renegades off the map.

6.941 - 33.556 Gerard Whateley

After 15 years of building brands and rivalry and fan bases, the two clubs were essentially abolished. They had no legacy value. The Victorian team, as it were, was going to be the Rangers, and some other team is what the Renegades would morph into, owned by some other foreign entity. The trouble is, is this season, the Stars and the Renegades are going to be sent out to play.

34.217 - 59.837 Gerard Whateley

So what does that do to the prospects of those two teams? The response of the fan base, the cricket goers, the fans of those two teams here in Melbourne? Do you go? Do you continue on with the allegiances that were there, knowing that neither of them is going to be there beyond this season? And if everything had gone to plan, neither of them would have been there now. It's a very odd scenario.

60.998 - 89.073 Gerard Whateley

I haven't taken a strong opinion on privatisation. I admire those who are strident on it. I'm not. But it did strike me this was the most difficult way to go about it a couple of weeks ago, and I think that's precisely what's... playing out. Two redundant entities are going to be representing cricket in this state across the next BBL season with their fan bases, which are substantial.