Cricket Victoria will kill off the Melbourne Stars and Renegades brands to merge them into one team under the state banner, informing staff of the intended change on Tuesday afternoon.
The second BBL licence owned by CV will be sold in its entirety to a private investor, pending approval of Cricket Australiaโs plans to allow for a phased โself-determination modelโ for the sale of stakes in BBL clubs by state associations.
This masthead has confirmed the announcement made to shocked staff, first reported by SEN Radio, was made on Tuesday afternoon at Junction Oval by CV chief executive Nick Cummins.
It is not clear whether both teams will still compete in the BBL this season, given that CA has not yet reached a point of consensus for the sale of stakes.
Equally unclear is the future of players from both clubs, who had lists in the closing stages of being finalised for the 2026-27 tournament.
Cricket Victoria was contacted for comment.
More to come
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Daniel Brettig is The Age’s chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X.
