Todd Greenberg isn’t holding back. As the CEO of Cricket Australia (CA), he’s clearly counting down the days until the Indian men’s team arrives for their 2025–26 tour. In a virtual media briefing, he called it “a summer like we’ve never seen before.” A bold claim—but not one without substance.
India’s visits tend to leave a mark. They pack out stadiums, pull in eyeballs from every corner of the globe, and create the kind of series that players dream of featuring in. And Greenberg is keen to amplify that experience. It’s not just about the cricket—it’s about what the presence of India does to the sport’s profile in Australia. Broadcasters buzz, tickets move fast, and even casual fans are drawn in. “It’s the series that everyone wants to play in,” he said, and you get the sense he meant it.
Yet, the Indian men’s team isn’t the only story. Greenberg also touched on the growing visibility of Indian women’s players in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), such as Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, who have already made an impression with their performances and popularity. The discussion naturally turned towards whether there’s any hope of seeing Indian male players—especially those retired or nearing retirement—donning BBL jerseys in the near future.
Greenberg was refreshingly direct. “We would love to welcome some Indian players to the BBL,” he said. “That would be fantastic.” He even threw in a name that would cause a stir anywhere—Virat Kohli. Though he clarified that such appearances aren’t currently on the cards, the ambition is there. And that matters.
Any talk of BBL and IPL inevitably leads to the growing web of private investment. As other cricket boards, especially in England with The Hundred, open doors to franchise owners from the IPL, the landscape is shifting. Greenberg knows it. “We’ve got to continue to evolve and innovate the way we run our business here in Australia,” he said, making it clear that CA is at least trying to stay light on its feet.
There’s always been a dance between tradition and modernisation in cricket. Test matches and rivalries rooted in history sit alongside T20 fireworks and social media-driven buzz. The trick is balancing both without losing the soul of the sport. Greenberg’s comments about the development structure hint at how CA is trying to get this right.
He underscored the value of A-team tours, particularly in places like the subcontinent. These series don’t grab headlines or attract massive crowds. But their importance isn’t lost on those within the system. Greenberg recalled Australia’s success in Sri Lanka, pointing out that much of the credit lies with players having prior experience in A-series matches there. “They are a very important part of the development of our players,” he said.
There’s a bigger idea tucked in there—the need to expose young players to different conditions early. He spoke of the investment involved and the reality that these tours don’t come with the financial rewards of traditional Test series. But they provide something just as critical: confidence, adaptability, and match-readiness when the stakes are higher.
If men’s cricket is slowly adjusting to the pace of modernity, women’s cricket is being given a chance to redraw the playbook altogether. Greenberg didn’t shy away from addressing the packed calendar faced by women players—something shaped heavily by the rise of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), WBBL, and The Hundred. He called it a “challenge” but also a “chance to be different.”
And this is where the conversation got a bit more interesting. Greenberg pointed out that women’s cricket doesn’t need to mirror the men’s game. “It’s okay to be different. It’s okay to challenge,” he said. He doesn’t want women’s cricket to simply follow the path trodden by the men over the past century. Instead, he’s open to a model where women’s cricket carves out its own identity—perhaps by playing at different times of the year, trying new formats, or reshaping what a cricket season even looks like.
It’s a surprisingly progressive take. Rather than squeezing women’s cricket into a mould, Greenberg seems to be advocating for more freedom, creativity and disruption. If this approach works, it could actually change who engages with the sport. He suggested that playing at different times of the year might improve participation rates, bringing more young boys and girls into cricket, simply by giving them more access to their role models.
It’s not a sweeping revolution being plotted here. It’s more a steady recalibration—one that recognises how quickly the sport is evolving, how fierce the competition for attention has become, and how much potential is still untapped. From the top level to the A-teams and from elite players to juniors, the message is clear: Cricket Australia wants to stay relevant by staying open.
Greenberg’s media call, while full of big statements, didn’t feel performative. It was more a snapshot of how CA is trying to read the room. Whether it’s about welcoming Indian icons into the BBL, learning from private investment trends, or backing women’s cricket to try something different, the organisation appears more tuned in than it has been in previous years.
That said, nothing is guaranteed. The idea of Virat Kohli in the BBL, for example, remains wishful thinking for now. But the willingness to have that conversation at all suggests a shift in tone—and that’s where possibilities begin.
The 2025–26 season might well be remembered for its India tour. But Greenberg’s real aim seems to go beyond the scoreboard. He’s trying to position Australian cricket—across genders, formats and age groups—as something that’s ready to experiment, build bridges, and keep fans engaged without losing track of what matters on the field.
It’s cricket’s version of looking sideways while keeping both feet grounded. Whether that proves sustainable or not, we’ll soon find out. But for now, the intent is there, and so is the anticipation.
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🏏 @CricketAus CEO Todd Greenberg hypes India's 2025-26 Aus tour as "unprecedented". 💥 Eyes Indian stars in @BBL, praises @WBBL's Indian women. 🔄 Backs women's cricket innovation & A-tours for player development. #TheIndianSun @Todd_Greenberg
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