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Board revamp on cards at Cricket Australia as Roberts' exit fails to appease states
Kevin Roberts is gone but senior figures in Australian cricket believe the Cricket Australia board must also be held accountable for the code’s spectacular veering off course this year, with a push for the governance structure to be ripped up to give state associations greater representation.
Former Cricket NSW chairman and Westfield executive John Warn has emerged as an early frontrunner for the full-time job. He was pipped in 2018 when David Peever’s board hired from within to replace James Sutherland but with Roberts having lasted only half the length of his contract, there are many who argue, as they did then, that they picked the wrong man.
Other potential contenders are former NRL and Football Federation Australia chief David Gallop, recently departed NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and WACA chief Christina Matthews, who also went for the job two years ago. Hockley may be in the seat for several months, with his T20 World Cup duties to be put on hold because of its pending postponement.
Announcing Roberts’ exit on Tuesday, Eddings said it was time for new leadership. “Kevin and I and the board have worked out over the last three to four months that things do need to change," he said.
As deeply unpopular as the 47-year-old was, his demise is unlikely to be seen as the panacea for CA’s shareholders, the states, whose faith in the leadership and the game’s power structure has sunk during the COVID-19 period.
Roberts’ poor communication and toxic relationships in the game cost him his job but Eddings conceded on Tuesday he was acting “hand in glove” with the board when it came to the highly disputed cost-saving measures CA launched in April with the standing down of staff, the latest of which is a round of redundancies at head office to be announced on Wednesday.
Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings.Credit: Eddie Jim
“I take responsibility for everything,” Eddings said. “We are living in very unprecedented times. Our response has been in line with all other sporting organisations in the past three months.
“At the time, we made prudent decisions about the welfare of Australian cricket and yes that means we had to make some hard decisions and we’ve done that. And I don’t move away from that because it’s been necessary to protect us through this crisis. If things emerge and change, we adapt our plans but ultimately that’s my responsibility and the board’s responsibility.”
Whether or not CA walks back some of its cuts as the outlook for the summer keeps brightening, the legacy of the game’s winter of discontent is that some of the states – who can technically roll any director of the board with four out of six in agreement – are determined to force lasting reform.
There are multiple states who may now seek a shake-up at CA that could lead to them again having direct representation on the board.
It has been made up of nine independents since changes were made after the Crawford and Carter review in 2011, spelling an end to the century-old state-based system where some had more delegates than others.
A return to those days is not on the table but a hybrid CA structure where each of the states has a director who also sits on its own board – plus three independents – is the leading option being discussed.
Eddings said CA had “very strong trusting relationships” with the state associations and hoped the departure of Roberts would improve them and ease tension with the Australian Cricketers Association, which has formally opposed CA's downward forecasting of revenue by $200 million.
“What we're trying to do now is to bridge those gaps and bring all the parts of Australian cricket together,” he said. “I think that has improved in the last 18 months, but we still have to make further improvements. With this change in leadership, we can go even further.”
Roberts, who resigned on Tuesday morning following a meeting of directors the previous night, said in a statement released by CA he was proud of what had been achieved in his time as CEO.
“As a lifelong and passionate member of the cricket community, I look forward to seeing the game thrive into the future,” Roberts said.
That will also be the aim of Hockley, who grew up around the corner from where Dennis Amiss lived near Edgbaston. He studied at Oxford University before moving to Australia and made a name for himself with his ambitious record crowd attempt in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
“It’s an absolute privilege to take on this role, even on an interim basis," Hockley said. "It is without doubt one of the great jobs in Australian sport and with that comes an enormous responsibility.”