Cricket Australia blocks serious allegations of contracts-for-mates by whistleblower amid BBL privatisation imbroglio. Joel Jenkins with the exclusive.
Embattled chief executive of Cricket Australia, Todd Greenberg, already under pressure from the fumbled privatisation of the Big Bash League, faces a battle on a new front.
A whistleblower report, obtained by MWM, contains devastating allegations of senior figures within Australia’s governing body feeding CA contracts to companies associated with themselves.
Cricket Australia is ducking for cover as an anonymous internal whistleblower report dated April 13, 2026 has raised serious questions about how the organisation appointed a senior digital technology executive, engaged a cloud services provider, and restructured key roles early this year.
Documents and public records cited in the report highlight potential conflicts of interest and procurement irregularities at a time of turmoil within the organisation, with several senior redundancies issued. Multiple attempts to obtain a response from CA and its chief executive Todd Greenberg have gone through to the keeper.
Appointment of senior executive
In early 2026, Cricket Australia appointed a new General Manager – Digital & Technology, later titled Chief Technology and Digital Officer. The executive had previously served in a strategic advisory role from around August 2025.
The whistleblower report alleges that this executive is associated with an Australian technology company registered in NSW on March 25, 2025, where he is listed as a director and shareholder. Related corporate entities in India share directors and a registered address in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
The cloud services provider
The Australian-registered cloud services provider has been engaged by Cricket Australia for technology and cloud migration services. According to the whistleblower documentation, purchase orders totalling over $600,000 were issued in February and March 2026. Key timeline points from the report include:
- The provider’s Australian company was registered in NSW on November 24, 2025, with an associate as director.
- That associate’s cessation as director of the linked technology entity was lodged with ASIC on February 16 2026 (effective backdated to January 21, 2026).
- Cricket Australia purchase orders to the provider began shortly afterwards, from February 18.
The report claims that formal procurement processes — such as a Request for Proposal (RFP) or detailed Statement of Work (SOW) — were not followed. It further alleges that contractors from the provider began appearing in CA’s internal systems from mid-January 2026, well before formal purchase orders were raised.
Governance and conflict concerns
The whistleblower report alleges that the senior executive approved the engagements while maintaining connections to related entities. It highlights overlapping directors and shareholders, shared business addresses, branding, social media presence, and joint promotional activities (including hackathons) linking the Australian and Indian companies.
CA’s published procurement policy from 2024 requires dual approvals for contracts above certain thresholds. The report states these safeguards appear to have been absent. No public board directions or conflict-of-interest disclosures relating to these matters have been released.
Senior role changes
Between March and April 2026, CA made several senior roles redundant, including the Head of Cyber Security and Head of Customer Experience. Sources say around 20 jobs were lost in the reshuffle.
Responsibilities were reportedly absorbed by recently appointed executives. The whistleblower report suggests these changes reduced independent oversight of the technology and procurement decisions at a critical time.
The report also notes a series of rapid senior hires in the Digital & Technology division following the executive’s involvement. Several appointees had prior associations with the same executive from his time at the NRL. It questions whether standard recruitment processes, reference checks, and selection criteria were consistently applied, noting a concentration of Sydney-based hires sharing similar professional and geographic backgrounds.
A dead bat
As of mid-May 2026, there is no public indication of any formal external investigation by ASIC, the ACCC, or other regulators. Cricket Australia has issued no detailed public comment on the specific allegations, despite repeated approaches.
These concerns originate from the anonymous internal whistleblower report supported by ASIC extracts, website screenshots, LinkedIn profiles, and detailed timelines. The claims centre on potential conflicts of interest, inadequate procurement safeguards, and possible circumvention of governance controls.
Cricket Australia continues to operate its technology initiatives, including AI and digital fan engagement projects, under the leadership of the executive named in the report.
Pressure from the states
The whistleblower allegations could not come at a worse time, a source close to CA told MWM.
“[They] are feeling pressure from the states (member states of the national governing body) to save money and any hint of money being wasted or spent on mates will double the pressure on the Greenberg and [CA chairman Mike] Baird too.
“They are demanding savings at head office. The momentum for the sale of BBL has swung back against the board and the states are saying cost savings should be made by cost cuts at head office (rather than proceeds from privatisation.”
CA revenues have risen strongly in recent years along with the rise in women’s cricket and BBL and the states believe the national governing body has become “bloated”.
Joel is a writer and independent political analyst focused on the intersection of class, the state of the nation, and Australian independent policy