Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland announces resignation
CRICKET Australia chief executive James Sutherland has announced his resignation, giving 12 months’ notice while insisting the ball tampering scandal earlier this year did not influence his decision.
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Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has announced his resignation, giving 12 months’ notice.
After 17 years at the helm, Sutherland confirmed his departure at a press conference on Wednesday morning, with the news coming two months after national coach Darren Lehmann resigned following the cheating scandal.
Sutherland, a former first-class cricketer with Victoria, was appointed in 2001 as Malcolm Speed’s successor at the then Australian Cricket Board.
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“After nearly 20 years at Cricket Australia and 17 years as chief executive the time is right for me and my family,” Sutherland told reporters, flanked by chairman David Peever.
“My successor will have a strong and stable platform to lead our sport and deliver on our bold aspirations for cricket to be Australia’s favourite spot and a sport for all Australians.
“My overwhelming feeling today is a sense of gratitude. I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity to be given this job.
“I thank David and his five predecessors for having the confidence in me and their friendship, support and counsel.”
Asked what toll the ball tampering scandal had taken on him, Sutherland said: “It certainly was a big issue at the time. But when you work in an industry and a rich environment as we do, as chief executive of a major sport, these things come from time to time. It hasn’t had a bearing on my decision.
Thumbs up from James Sutherland after announcing he is stepping down as boss of Cricket Australia. @heraldsunsport pic.twitter.com/qF1kDtStJi
— Chris Cavanagh (@chriscavanagh1) June 6, 2018
David and I have actually been talking about this for two years to say when is, understanding, where I am personally. But also when the best time for the game is, as I said before, with some really key building planks in place, the strategy, the media rights deal now done.
“It just feels like a good time for me to hand over the reins in an orderly fashion to my successor.”
CA chairman David Peever thanked Sutherland for his services while confirming he would be staying on for another term.
“He is without doubt the best sporting administrator in Australia and the best in world cricket,” he said.
“When he leaves the game he can most certainly say it’s much stronger for him having been in it.
“The game has never been in a stronger position, and now the board will embark on a process to fill some very big shoes.”
SUTHERLAND TRANSCRIPT:
REPORTER: James, just how big a toll did the ball tampering saga take on you? And what sort of impact did it have on your decision?
It certainly was a big issue at the time. But when you work in an industry and a rich environment as we do, as Chief Executive of a major sport, these things come from time to time. It hasn’t had a bearing on my decision, I guess, David and I have actually been talking about this for two years to say when is, understanding, where I am personally. But also when the best time for the game is, as I said before, with some really key building planks in place, the strategy, the media rights deal now done. It just feels like a good time for me to hand over the reins in an orderly fashion to my successor.
REPORTER: James, what was the main thinking behind the 12-month notice period? Is it purely to give them timed to find a new successor? Or also to see the transition of the difficult period of Australian cricket through?
My view has always been that I would like to go out on my terms, but at the same time, I want to go out in such a way that allows the game to make a smooth transition and I think that having been in the role for 17 years, there are things that I’ve come to know along the way, that it’s only appropriate for me to work closely with my successor. But at the same time, I’ll be looking to get out of their way as quickly as possible as well.
REPORTER: James, over 18 years, you’ve had numerous crises, bridges to cross, issues to encounter. Why now and not at previous times in your … Or at previous achievements in your career?
As I said, in my opening comments, when you put … We work our business, and you know this, our business works on a four, five, six-year cycle, and it just so happens that right now, putting aside the fact that I’ve been in the role for 17 years, it just so happens now that we’ve adopted a new strategy. We have a collective agreement with our players that is in place. We’ve just done a new media rights deal that puts us in a really strong position about certainty of revenue for this next cycle. As well as the ICC piece. It just feels that with all of those things done, it’s a really good time for me to step aside, but it’s also a really good time for a new chief executive to come in and have a good run at it.
REPORTER: And just on the structural change that occurred a little while ago with Kevin Roberts becoming the COO. You’ve never had a COO before.
Are these two things related at all? Well, not related. I mean, I guess from my perspective, and internally, people would know and understand that over the last 12 months or so, Kevin has had a very broad role and has been effectively my deputy and CEO. So from that perspective, I think it’s really turning what was a convoluted title into a COO and allows that clarity about his role which accompanies various functions of the company on an organisation level.
REPORTER: James, we’ve seen in a number of interviews lately that you said that you wanted to stay on in the role. Can we maybe draw some dots there and see that maybe there’s been some pressure or a decision from higher up trying to influence you? It seems like quite an abrupt change?
Maybe. But, you know, I can also say that it’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and it would be silly of me to say anything else other than — I wanted to continue in the role. Obviously it’s something that I’ve been thinking about, but I’m not going to air my own personal thoughts over the course of the last couple of years and what I’m thinking about with the right time to go. We’ve had some big, big things to deal with over the course of the last 12 months. Obviously, there’s Cape Town, but there’s also
some key planks that are now in place allow me to step aside and for a new chief executive to come in and have a really strong platform from which to operate and take the game forward.
REPORTER: James, over your 17 or so years at the helm, what do you say is the highlights in your time there? And maybe things on the other side, if you had your time again, you’d do otherwise?
It’s a bit embarrassing hearing David talk about things earlier on and sort of reiterate my comments before — I’m very fortunate to have been the chief executive, that I really, truly believe in, and am inspired by the people around me. So whatever’s been achieved in the way that the game has grown is absolutely a team effort. The one thing that I would say, though, about that, Andrew, is the underlying … Is my underlying belief about the most important thing we do as sports administrator, and that is inspire the next generation to love cricket. Boys and girls. It’s all about that.
And whilst that doesn’t necessarily get the publicity that it deserves, the facts of the matter are that kids today, the primary school kids today, boys and girls, are not getting bats and balls in their hands. Not seeing and understanding the opportunity that is there from playing cricket and then the game doesn’t have a future, and that has been my, the underlying driver for me in this role all the way through. It’s about the kids and it’s about making sure that the game has a sustainable future through the next generation of boys and girls.
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Originally published as Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland announces resignation