Cricket Australia boss Kevin Roberts apologises over dismissals

Kevin Roberts says his process was wrong but refused to admit an error in cutting 200 staff.

Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts is dealing with hostile staff, players and states. Picture: Getty Images

Kevin Roberts offered a mea culpa to Cricket Australia staff on Wednesday as anger around his decision to enforce mass stand downs led many to question the game’s leadership and others confused as to why the measures were necessary.

The chief executive is under pressure on all fronts with states and players convinced he overreacted to the impacts of the pandemic and staff are surprised and bruised by the decision to stand them down two weeks ago.

Roberts claims the organisation is facing a cash crisis and had to act immediately.

Speaking by video the chief executive, who is dealing with hostile staff, players and states, said he got the process wrong, but did not admit he was wrong in standing down an estimated 200 staff at head office on just 20 per cent pay.

Roberts twice apologised personally and on behalf of the executive general management team.

According to staff the chief executive said they had “underestimated the surprise and negative impact on people” adding that in hindsight they “didn’t spend long enough giving background”.

“I apologise for not taking another five days explaining why stand downs were required,” Roberts is reported to have said. “I apologise on behalf of the executive team.”

Staff were shocked when they learned two weeks ago that the business was in trouble, reporting that briefings to that period had given little indication of what was ahead.

The state associations remain stunned at the level of cuts at head office and staff struggle to understand why it was necessary, but Roberts appeared to stand by the decision.

“We had all the details, we should have shared it,” he said.

The apology follows a staff survey conducted by head office and comes amid reports some employees are questioning the legality of the move to stand them down and have taken legal advice.

Staff were told cuts were coming on the Thursday and informed who would be stood down the following day. They were sent an email with an attachment that would enable any JobKeeper claim should the company be eligible and another that laid out their changed work conditions which they had to sign. Staff told The Australian they felt under pressure to sign, but a Cricket Australia spokesperson said on Wednesday the wholesale acceptance of the measure “reflected their trust and commitment to cricket regardless of how they felt about it personally”.

The details of staff meetings have leaked to the media but Roberts said he would continue to use the regular sessions.

South Australia is the only state association that has seen it necessary to stand down staff in the same manner and some states believe they will not have to follow suit, suggesting head office overreacted.

Roberts is yet to convince the states or the players association that the current position is as dire as he claims.

The executive has indicated it will give full disclosure to states and players on Thursday after both pushed back at suggested cuts. The states pushed back against 45 per cent cuts to their revenue this summer but look to have settled on accepting a 25 per cent cut but they and the players are awaiting more financial details before any deals are done.

Only South Australia had instituted staff cuts on similar levels to head office and others are understood to be confident they can keep their employees on.

“It’s really reasonable that our state and territory associations and the players’ association would be seeking as much information as possible,” Roberts told ABC Radio on Saturday. “We’re committed to full transparency and ongoing updates, and were now getting ourselves in a position where we’ve got all of that together in a more coherent way, given the fast-moving nature of it. Part of our challenge is we’ve been providing such frequent information to the states and territories that on occasions that’s rushed.’’