Cricket Victoria has made significant changes to its coaching structure ahead of the upcoming season. Former Australia batter Cameron White is set to join the Melbourne Stars coaching staff, while the Melbourne Renegades begin the search for new head coaches for both their men's and women's teams.
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins also confirmed a decision on the proposed merger between the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades. Both teams will continue to operate as separate franchises for at least another Big Bash League season and will retain their traditional green and red colors.
Cameron White Set to Join Melbourne Stars Ahead of BBL 2026-27
Cameron White is set to join the Melbourne Stars after spending the last two seasons as head coach of the Melbourne Renegades. Cricket Victoria is preparing for the planned private sale of the Renegades license.
Current Stars coach Peter Moores is expected to remain with the club for the final year of his contract after guiding the team to back-to-back finals appearances. Under the proposed setup, White would take over as head coach, while Moores could move into a senior assistant coaching role.
The Renegades need to appoint new coaches for both their men's and women's teams. The vacancy in the women's setup follows the departure of Simon Helmot, who recently joined the Gulf Giants. Former Sydney Sixers coach Greg Shipperd has emerged as a leading candidate for the Renegades men's coaching position.
Independent Management for the Renegades Is Really Important - Nick Cummins
Nick Cummins said that the Melbourne Renegades need independent leadership to maintain the integrity of the competition. He added that the Renegades must operate as a club focused on winning rather than being viewed as a secondary team within Cricket Victoria's structure.
"An independent management for the Renegades is really important for the integrity of the competition. The Renegades are trying to win it, rather than being (CV's) second team. If you are a Renegades fan, Georgia Wareham is going to be playing in the red, Ollie Peake is going to be playing, so your players, your team, are still going to be there."
Former Stars general manager Max Abbott has been appointed to oversee the independent management of the Renegades. He will work alongside former Australia fast bowler Clint McKay, who has also moved across to lead the Renegades' high-performance program and oversee player recruitment.
Meanwhile, former Renegades general manager James Rosengarten has joined the Stars. Following the restructure, the Stars will become the only Big Bash League club operated directly by Cricket Victoria from Junction Oval.
We Will Go Forward as the Melbourne Stars - Nick Cummins on Franchise's Future
Nick Cummins revealed that plans to rebrand the Melbourne Stars into a single Melbourne team have been put on hold due to time constraints. He said that the organization hopes to complete the sale of the Melbourne Renegades and finalize a new ownership structure by June next year.
"We've reached that point now where we had to make a decision as to which brand we would be going forward with (this season). We will go forward as the Melbourne Stars and we'll continue to look at what that might look like beyond this year. At some point between now and next June, we hope that there will be a change of ownership (for the Renegades)."
Cricket Australia and the state associations must finalize future funding and revenue-sharing arrangements. While Cricket Australia is targeting the 2027-28 season for broader privatization plans, CV expects the Melbourne Renegades to become the first state-based franchise offered to private investors.
