Sheffield Shield investment urged as to replenish Test cricket stocks, as Greenberg appointment hailed

Incoming Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg has been urged to direct greater focus to the Sheffield Shield to ensure the replenishment of a men’s Test side stacked with ageing veterans.

Incoming Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg has been urged to direct greater focus to the Sheffield Shield to ensure the replenishment of a men’s Test side stacked with players in their 30s.

Giving his tick of approval to the appointment of former NRL boss Greenberg as Nick Hockley’s successor at CA, Cricket Victoria chair Ross Hepburn has also said Greenberg should seek to ensure that the national body makes a profit even in years when India or England don’t tour.

Greenberg was last week unveiled as Hockley’s replacement, with the latter set to depart his post in March. Greenberg will spend the coming weeks tying loose ends at the Australian Cricketers’ Association, where he has been chief executive since 2021.

Despite murmurings of misgivings about the selection from some senior state figures, Hepburn said he liked Greenberg’s style.

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Todd Greenberg will be the next CEO of Cricket Australia. Picture: Getty Images

“Todd’s a pretty good straight shooter in terms of sort of being able to talk to people and can get his message across, but also listen and listen to what other people are saying,” Hepburn told this masthead.

“So we think that’s going to be very, very positive. We also like the fact that somebody’s decided that if you’ve got head office in Melbourne, then that’s where you should work.”

But Hepburn agreed with Greenberg’s assessment that there would be challenges awaiting on several fronts.

In particular, Hepburn argued that the Shield required greater investment, especially given 14 of Australia’s 16-member Test squad is 30 or older.

Steve Smith is among the 14 members of Australia’s 16-strong Test squad aged 30 or older. Picture: Getty Images

“I think we’ve made a lot of strides forward in both the Test side of things and in terms of the Big Bash side of things, with social media engagement, fan engagement and all that sort of stuff,” Hepburn said.

“I think there’s still a fair way to go on the marketing side of the ship.

“And I think some of us would think that things like the Sheffield Shield could be strengthened and perhaps supported a little bit better than they have been given that when we get an Australian Test side that’s predominantly above (30) years.

“We need to be looking at what’s next, and we need to have some understanding of where we need to be looking at.

“I just think, and even just the way it gets sold, in the way it’s marketed, the way we perhaps don’t want, or haven’t appeared to want to get crowds to those matches. I just think there’s a lot of lot of strong potential there.”

Victoria’s Campbell Kellaway bats during a Sheffield Shield match. Picture: Getty Images

CA’s longstanding business model works on four-yearly cycles whereby significant profits made across home men’s Ashes and Border-Gavaskar Trophy series summers offset the losses made when other sides tour for the marquee Test slots. The revenue differential is a result of chasms in overseas broadcast rights value depending on who is touring, as well as a ticket sale disparity.

But Hepburn said Greenberg needed to find ways that CA could make a profit every year.

“I think most notably the challenge is that CA has got to restore their balance sheet. They’ve got to be operating in the black, and that’s going to be a little bit of a challenge,” he said.

“And it’s all very well to explain to everybody that will listen that, ‘oh well, we have cycles in cricket, and we have ups and downs over the four or five year cycle,’ and that’s all very well.

Sam Konstas is among those plying their trade in the Sheffield Shield who could represent the next generation of Australian Test players. Picture: Getty Images

“But some of us have the view that at the bottom of the cycle, we still need to be in the black ink and that’ll be a little bit of a challenge going forward given that the media arrangements are locked in for a few more years, the strong MOU is locked in, and I think that’s been a pretty good deal for everybody, but the states and territories are going to want some of their funding restored.

“And so in that environment, someone’s got to look at how CA is operating from an overall sort of commercial viewpoint.”

Hepburn suggested CA should look at its head count.

“We’ve got far too many people in roles that we don’t necessarily need.

“CA shouldn’t be reinventing the wheel on HR support systems and all that sort of stuff and they might have to look at the size of their business.”

He also called for Australian cricket leaders to continue to foster the relationship with South Asian communities, an issue CA has identified as a priority.