CRICKET AUSTRALIA START SEARCH FOR SUTHERLAND SUCCESSOR
Ball-tampering saga ‘didn’t influence call’
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 and assist with the changeover.
Both Sutherland and Cricket Australia chairman David Peever stressed the decision had been discussed for some time and the recent ball-tampering saga 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 by 228 per cent since 2001.
“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.”
Cricket Australia has appointed executive search agency Egon Zehnder to find Sutherland’s replacement.
While not wanting to “put any constraints around it”, Peever said “bias” would be shown towards an Australian who has had involvement in cricket.
Sutherland, 52, said the time was right to stand aside for both himself and CA 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.
“My successor will have a strong and stable platform from which to lead our sport and to deliver on our bold aspirations for cricket to be Australia’s favourite sport.”
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 CA 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.”