New CEO search begins
THE search for a new Cricket Australia chief executive has begun after James Sutherland sensationally announced his 17-year reign would be coming to an end.
Sutherland fronted media yesterday to announce his resignation, but will stay on to lead the organisation for the next 12 months to assist with the changeover.
Sutherland and Cricket Australia chairman David Peever stressed the decision had been discussed for some time and the ball-tampering saga that engulfed Australian cricket had not played a part.
Peever lauded Sutherland as the “best sporting administrator in Australia”, paying tribute to his “extraordinary list of achievements” highlighted by growing participation in the sport.
“James has done an incredible job and has always carried himself with integrity, humility and dignity,” Peever said.
“[He] has been instrumental in driving change around the game to make it even stronger for future generations.”
Cricket Australia has appointed executive search agency Egon Zehnder to find Sutherland’s replacement.
CA chief operating officer Kevin Roberts, who infuriated and offended players in last year’s ugly pay dispute, looms as the frontrunner to be Sutherland’s successor.
Sutherland, 52, said he believed the time was right to stand aside for both himself and Cricket Australia, but his focus would be “on continuing to drive the game forward” until a successor was found.
“In the last 12 months, we’ve laid some key foundation stones for the game with the launch of a new strategy, a new collective agreement with the Australian Cricketers Association that allows certainty for male and female cricketers and, just recently, the announcement of a new television rights deal that will see expanded coverage of the game,” Sutherland said.
Peever said it was “completely James’s decision” to step aside and while the balltampering saga had no impact on Sutherland’s position, it had taught Cricket Australia some valuable lessons.
“Clearly the ball-tampering issue has created upheaval. We’ve got the review process going on,” he said. “I think it’s also helped us understand better the extraordinary passion Australians have for cricket and the importance for us as administrators to make sure we’re tapping back into that passion and respecting that passion.”