Former Cricket Australia director Bob Every surprised at attacks

Former director Bob Every says attacks on his credibility are symptomatic of cricket’s deep cultural problems.

Former Cricket Australia director Bob Every.

Cricket Australia’s ugly boardroom brawl continued yesterday with a respected former director responding to attacks on his credibility by cricket administrators, saying they were proof of findings that the organisation had deep cultural problems.

Bob Every, 73, the former Wesfarmers chief who quit the board in protest at David Peever’s leadership in April, put up his hand to return in the wake of the chairman’s resignation last week.

Every was subject to a withering attack from two close friends of Peever yesterday. One former director slammed him for the crime of not appearing before the media after play on the day the Australians were caught cheating in Cape Town.

Speaking exclusively to The Australian, Every replied that the response to his offer to help was a demonstration of the culture so harshly criticised in Simon Longstaff’s review of the organisation last week. Longstaff had accused the cricket administration of “bullying” and being “intolerant of criticism”.

Every’s record on the board was attacked by former board member Tony Harrison and Queensland chairman Sal Vasta, both close friends of Peever.

“I was extremely disappointed,” Every told The Australian. “All the issues raised are a complete surprise to me. We had numerous board meetings after the South African incident and there was no reference to any of these issues or my performance raised by the chairman or any other member of the board. It’s the first time I’ve heard all that.

“This is symptomatic of the cultural problem in cricket right now. I don’t want to engage in these sort of exchanges, it’s time to put the game first and get on with restoring men’s international cricket. The brand of women’s international cricket is fine, but men’s is not good.”

Harrison claimed the director should have stepped in and told Fairfax Media: “Had I been in South Africa I would have fronted the media conference instead of the players.”

Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft admitted to ball tampering after play but lied about what was used.

Every responded that he offered to help and his offer was ignored. The respected director says he has always had the view that boards do not run companies, management does.

Vasta was also critical of Every’s desire to seek another term on the board saying, “I wanted to ensure we had a director who could definitely show leadership”.

Every left the board after ­Peever told him he was too old ­to continue, criticising the chairman on the way out for his role in the pay dispute and broadcast negotiations.

“I was considering standing again and I sought the views of at least two, possibly three, board colleagues and they were totally supportive of me returning,” Every said.

“They were unequivocal in their comments that they wanted me to stand. I also approached the chairman and CEO of the WACA because I was the WA delegate and they both gave me their unreserved support to stand for another term and told me they had told David Peever that.

“When I approached David Peever it was fair to say he was less than enthusiastic and the reason he gave was that I was too old.”

Peever was widely criticised for not releasing the cultural review before his reappointment to the board, which fellow director Mark Taylor played down on television yesterday.

Every told The Australian he would return to the board as chair but only if there was support.

“I’m pretty much happily retired, but if approached I would consider coming back as chair, but only if approached. My motive is clear: I would only do it if there was unanimous support and if I thought I could mend the fence for the good of the game. We have got to put the game first.”