Capitalizing on the "Big Bash phenomenon and the growing participation rates of women as fans and players will be key talking points at a mass gathering of cricket officials in Melbourne," according to Russell Gould of the HERALD SUN. More than 200 people, including Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, past and present players and members of the Australian Cricketers Association "will come together for the Australian Cricket Conference." Held every five years, the three-day conference "will provide airtime for all the game’s major stakeholders as cricket’s key issues are discussed and strategies devised to secure the game’s future." After the "huge success" of the Women’s Big Bash League last summer, and following the inception of the Australian Football League women’s league, "strengthening the role of females across all levels of cricket will be a major discussion point." ACA CEO Alastair Nicholson said, "The role of the ACA in the growth of women's cricket will be to secure them the same terms and conditions that the male players are afforded" (HERALD SUN, 8/9).
