Mark Taylor resigns from Cricket Australia board

Mark Taylor has nominated former Test players as his possible successors after resigning from the Cricket Australia board.

Mark Taylor has nominated Belinda Clark, Simon Katich and Alex Blackwell as candidates for the position on the Cricket Australia board he vacated. Picture: Nicole Cleary/Aaron Francis/Sam Ruttyn

Mark Taylor has nominated former Test players Simon Katich, Belinda Clark and Alex Blackwell as his possible successors on the board of Cricket Australia while announcing his decision to stand down rather than taking up the role of chairman after the resignation of David Peever.

“I said many months ago that my next step as a Cricket Australia director was either to step up or step off the board of Cricket Australia,” Taylor told a press conference in Sydney.

“I had an opportunity at this time to put my name forward as a chairman, or step off. That’s where I got to and I think I’ve made the right move in the interests of Australian cricket to step off and give some other, hopefully, former player an opportunity to add some fresh ideas to this role as a director of Cricket Australia.”

Taylor had been touted as an ideal chairman following the resignation last week in the fallout to the damning Longstaff review into the culture of Australian cricket. Asked why he was standing down rather than up, Taylor replied: “I’ve just got to the end. Particularly over the last 18 months, there’s been a lot in this role as a director of Cricket Australia and it’s taken its toll on me. I don’t think I can give any more. I’ve lost the energy and I think it’s time for someone else to step up and fill my shoes.”

Mark Taylor. Picture: AAP

Taylor said Katich, Clark and Blackwell were capable of helping Australian cricket into a new era after a year lowlighted by hostile pay negotiations, the Cape Town cheating scandal and now the unflattering review accompanied by poor results from Australia’s male teams.

“I think there’s a number of people out there who could do it,” Taylor said. “You often see them pop up in articles in newspapers, the names of people. If people are making comment, it tells me they’re interested and have input they could make to Australian cricket.

“Now is the time to make it. I think there’s a good opportunity for a women’s cricketer. I know there’s someone like Alex Blackwell, who’s on the board of Cricket NSW. Belinda Clark, who works at Cricket Australia, although she’s doing a very fine job there. I see people like Simon Katich talked about a lot — and I’m probably leaving out half a dozen.”

Taylor’s decision follows the resignation of the chairman David Peever last week.

The mishandling of the culture review in the wake of the cheating problem is at the heart of the board’s problems.

The respected and well-liked former captain looked tired and sounded frustrated by the embattled state of the game and its administration yesterday.

He was clearly annoyed by Ian Chappell’s description of past players on the board as “window dressing”.

The players and administrators have been locked in an ugly battle since the MOU negotiations which ended last year, but not before all cricketers spent a month off contract.

The call by the players’ association to end drop the bans against Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft annoyed Taylor.

“I’ve worked tirelessly over the past 12 months to try and get a better relationship with the cricketers and the board and Cricket Australia,” Taylor said on Channel 9.

“I was disappointed … only 22 hours after the release of the (culture review) findings … the ACA wanted the bans reduced.

“Now once again in the words of Longstaff, as a win at all costs or win without carrying the cost, the cost will be the three players in the middle.

“There’s not enough people thinking about winning at all costs … from everywhere in Australian cricket.”