Cricket Australia’s chairman secures future; Mark Taylor’s position filled

Earl Eddings was under threat of being forced off the board by his own state association last year but a clever game of musical chairs secured his future in the independent position.

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Cricket Australia’s chairman Earl Eddings has pulled off a surprise manoeuvre to head off moves against his position and guarantee himself the job for the next three years.

The development comes as board appoints new director, Richard Freudenstein, to replace Mark Taylor. Another director will be appointed soon.

The board was thrown into turmoil in November with the resignation of controversial chairman David Peever a week after he was reappointed to the job for another three year term.

The former mining chief stepped down after Cricket NSW intervened, saying his job had become untenable in the wake of the ugly MOU dispute, the controversial handling of the broadcast negotiations and a scathing review of its international culture by the Sydney Ethics Centre in the wake of the sandpaper dispute.

Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings. Picture: AAP

Former captain and long time director Mark Taylor walked away from the board a few days later. Those moves came at the same time that long term chief executive James Sutherland was replaced by the executive Kevin Roberts who had headed up the MOU negotiations.

Eddings himself was under threat of being forced off the board by his own state association, Cricket Victoria, before the end of the year.

A series of moves at board level have headed off the possibility that the organisation, which is undergoing major internal restructure, would have had three chairs in less than an ear.

Eddings, who is one of six state based directors on the nine person board, was appointed to the chair’s role when Peever left, despite the extraordinary protestations of the Cricket Victoria board which objected to the process.

State Associations have traditionally sought to have “their person” running the organisation, but Victoria put out a statement objecting to the decision hours after it was made.

Eddings has managed to sidestep a situation where he could have been out of a job later this year when his directorship came up for review by moving to an independent directorship vacated by Victoria.

Taylor’s vacant board position has been filled. Picture: AFP

Freudenstein was appointed to the board on the recommendation of Cricket NSW which gives the Victorian board the chance to nominate another director in the coming months to fill the other vacancy.

There was a push for the role would be given to a woman and The Australian had revealed earlier this year that former West Tigers chair Marina Go was among the final round of candidates. John McMurtrie, MD and executive director of Link Group, was also understood to be among the short list of candidates.

Only two of the eight directors, Jacquie Hey and Michelle Tredenick, are female.

Eddings, who has impressed in his short time in the chair, has worked hard to appease Victoria with the board arguing that stability was needed and that he had the right corporate knowledge and temperament, but his move to the independent role avoids the possibility he could have been replaced later this year and the organisation would need to find a new chair.

Cricket Victoria’s chair Paul Barker sent a shudder through the head body when he publicly objected to the move last November to make Eddings appointment permanent.

“Cricket Victoria has made its view clear and our preference remains that the interim chairman arrangements were maintained while Australian cricket undertakes a thorough process to fill the recent board vacancies,” CV chairman Paul Barker said in a statement.

“We have actively encouraged Cricket Australia to pursue this opportunity through an established nominations committee - a process that Cricket Victoria firmly believes would deliver the best outcome for Australian cricket.”

Freudenstein brings to the board extensive knowledge of the media industry and will be invaluable when the next round of broadcast rights are negotiated.

The former CEO and COO at the BSKYB in the UK, he moved to Australia in 2006 and took on roles as CEO of News Digital Media, The Australian and then Foxtel.

The experienced media director recently sold his Mosman home for $23m which was a record for the area.