Jones the final piece in the puzzle as Cricket Australia’s board ends a tumultuous era

Former Test star turned commentator Mel Jones is set to take up a seat on the board of Cricket Australia

Broadcaster and ex-player Mel Jones Picture: Hollie Adams

Former Test star turned commentator Mel Jones is set to take up a seat on the board of Cricket Australia, filling the final position left vacant following the most controversial 18 months in the organisation’s history.

The highly respected 47-year-old was awarded the Order of Australia medal this year and inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2017.

Jones played five Tests and 61 ODIs for Australia before beginning a commentary career in the UK in the last decade, worked in administration in South Africa and Australia and was one of the first women commentators on the IPL in 2015.

She is currently a commentator with Fox Cricket.

Cricket Australia did not confirm Jones’s appointment on Sunday but said an announcement was imminent.

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The Australian understands the board approved the decision on Friday following Thursday’s AGM, where it reported an $18.2m surplus following last year’s tour by India.

Jones’s appointment signals an end to a tumultuous time dating back to the pay dispute in 2017.

Three directors, including chairman David Peever, left the board last year in the fallout from the scathing cultural review and the disastrous MOU negotiations.

Peever was pushed to resign by NSW Cricket as anger rose over his handling of the review that was commissioned in the wake of the sandpaper scandal in South Africa.

His exit was precipitated by the publication in The Australian of a scathing email from West Australia director Bob Every who, on resignation, attacked Peever’s leadership and handling of a number of critical issues facing the organisation. Mark Taylor resigned soon after Peever quit citing disillusion over the board’s relationship with the Australian Cricketer’s Association.

The exodus coincided with the resignation of chief executive James Sutherland and the appointment of Kevin Roberts to that position and sparked further curious board manoeuvrings.

Peever’s recently appointed deputy chair, Earl Eddings, the board candidate nominated by Victorian Cricket, was ­elevated to the vacant chairman’s role despite the extraordinary protests of his own state. Victoria argued it wanted the right to nominate another candidate when its seat came up for renewal and raised eyebrows by putting out a press release when Eddings was appointed permanent chair.

“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,” state chairman Paul Barker said in a statement in November. “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.”

Cricket Australia’s board is made up of six directors nominated by each of the six states and three independents. Eddings had tried to win the support of Victoria but to head off further disruption made the extraordinary move to take Peever’s vacant independent position in June, which left the state with a vacancy.

Eddings’ role as chair is thereby guaranteed for three more years but his Victorian nominated position became vacant. There has been an extensive search for ­replacement directors. At one stage Marina Go, former publisher and chair of NRL club Wests Tigers, was on the short list, as was businessman John McMurtrie.

NSW eventually nominated Richard Freudenstein to fill Taylor’s position earlier this year, which left an expectation that the next appointment would be a former player and hopefully a woman.

There is an expectation that two former players will be on the board. Former Test bowler Michael Kasprowicz has been a director since 2011.

Eddings celebrated the stability of the organisation at the AGM since the unfortunate scenes.

“In my first year as chair I have been humbled by the commitment, passion and resilience of the thousands of people who work across Australian cricket,” he said. “There is no doubt the past 12 months have seen some critical milestones for our organisation and the sport. While we will never forget the lessons of the past we want to reassure the Australian cricket community that we have listened, and we … are genuinely committed to earning back the trust of cricket fans across the country.”