Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird was compelled to respond to criticism of the governing body’s financial performance when its AGM took a lively turn on Thursday.

An $11.3 million deficit for the 2024-25 season – arriving despite a hugely popular Test series against India – pared down CA’s reserves to $22.1 million ahead of this summer’s visits by India and England.

Baird focused on the split of India’s Test and white-ball series into separate summers, meaning dispersed payments from CA’s $300 million rights deal with Indian broadcasting giant Jio Star, as the major reason for the deficit.

But Cricket Victoria chair Ross Hepburn responded to Baird’s request for questions from the floor by calling out CA for what he described as a downward trend in the governing body’s financial situati

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