Leg Buys: Mel Jones’ dream of team ownership, Brisbane Heat keep spinner despite switch to Tassie for domestic cricket

She has done it all in cricket playing for her country, a world renowned broadcaster and even a Cricket Australia director, but there is one thing Mel Jones is yet to tick off her list that she’d love to do. DANIEL CHERNY speaks to her and provides a BBL player update.

As a player, broadcaster and former Cricket Australia director, there isn’t much Mel Jones hasn’t done in the game across well over a quarter of a century in elite cricket.

But the former Test batter and prominent commentator wants to expand her repertoire. She is keen to become a private owner of a team.

“I’d love to own a team,” Jones told Leg Buys.

“Why not? I mean, you sort of look at people around the world, and we’re seeing it in soccer and football, in basketball.

“We don’t have it as much in cricket because most of the teams are owned by the national board or the state boards but that’s slowly shifting.”

Mel Jones during her recent commentary stint during the UK summer. Picture: ECB/ECB via Getty Images

Jones said she had drawn inspiration from the success of US women’s soccer team Angel City FC.

It has drawn investment and support from Hollywood and sporting stars, including Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, Eva Longoria and Natalie Portman.

“I can’t buy a WPL (Women’s Premier League) team because I don’t have $200 million handy but I think the game will eventually develop to a position where I think it’d be great to get a couple of other mates and women that have been involved in the game and say, ‘All right, well, you know, Angel City did it’,” Jones said.

Jones, 52, who served on the CA board between 2019 and 2022, said CA should consider the merits of allowing private equity stakes in Big Bash League clubs but not rush into it despite the England Cricket Board dabbling with private investment in The Hundred.

Jones has drawn inspiration from US women’s soccer team Angel City FC owned by a host of Hollywood and sporting stars including actor Natalie Portman. Picture: Jenny Chuang/ISI Photos/Getty Images

“I think you’ve always got to have a look at it because it’s good money that can invest back into the game,’’ she said.

“I don’t deny that. I look at other instances where it’s come in and people can sit very easily on the good and the bad sides.

“And so I think the beauty of competition here in Australia is that it was built off not wanting to on-sell it.

“It was built as a marketing tool, a way in which to engage the states into developing their own teams, and it’s done that beautifully well.

“Now, if we wanted more and more money, yeah, you’d sell it. But if you’ve got control of it, and it’s doing well for you at the moment, hang on to that for now.”

TWEAK YES, CHANGE NO

He may have left Queensland for domestic cricket but Test spinner Matt Kuhnemann isn’t heading anywhere on the BBL front.

It’s understood Kuhnemann is set to extend his stay at the Brisbane Heat for an additional season, which will tie him to the club until the end of the 2026-27 summer.

Matt Kuhnemann is set extend his stay with the Brisbane Heat. Picture: James Worsfold – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

The left-arm finger-spinner was a member of the Heat’s title-winning side last season when he combined with leggie Mitchell Swepson.

Kuhnemann, 28, strongly considered a move to the Melbourne Stars last year before staying with the Heat.

He moved to Tasmania for greater state opportunities at the end of last season after being frozen out of the Bulls’ side in the Sheffield Shield.

He shapes as a likely inclusion for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka beginning in late January.

The Heat and the Melbourne Stars still have a list vacancy for the upcoming BBL season.

WA quick Bryce Jackson, who took 6-31 this season against South Australia in the one-day cup, is believed to be a frontrunner for a replacement player position with the Perth Scorchers. Mitch Marsh is unlikely to feature heavily in the BBL this summer because of Test commitments.

Originally published as Leg Buys: Mel Jones’ dream of team ownership, Brisbane Heat keep spinner despite switch to Tassie for domestic cricket