Maxwell has been secretly working on plans for Australia's version of the IPL for the past 18 months and is the man responsible for securing more than $60 million in support from rich Indian investors to buy shares in franchises.
The former Shield all-rounder would not comment on his involvement, other than saying: "Cricket Australia is currently in discussions about the concept and the future of the game, and it's up to the board to decide what happens next."
"How could we ignore that sort of money?" said one NSW official, who asked not to be identified because of pressure on the states from Cricket Australia before the board votes on whether to accept private ownership at its meeting on Friday.
Maxwell is also the agent for a number of high-profile players - including Michael Hussey, Brett Lee and Marcus North - and once looked after the affairs of Socceroos superstar Tim Cahill.
The franchises will have a salary cap of up to $2.6 million and will sign overseas stars and retired champions, including Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
Television coverage is expected to be shared between Channel Nine and Fox Sports but CA's TV deal with Nine expires in 2012 and interest from other commercial networks is expected because of the new series.
Former New South Wales Sheffield Shield cricketer Neil Maxwell has emerged as the mastermind behind the game's biggest shake-up since Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket.
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