Tired Taylor walks away from role with Cricket Australia

Mark Taylor yesterday made public his reasons for walking away from the Cricket Australia board.

Former Australian cricket captain and retiring Cricket Australia director Mark Taylor at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. Picture: AAP

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.

The former Test captain said the fatigue caused by ­in-fighting between the players’ union and governing body, the cheating scandal at Cape Town, the fallout from the Longstaff report, plus conflicts with his media role at the Nine Network, led to his decision to walk from the board rather than step up as chairman.

Taylor told a press conference at the SCG yesterday: “I said many months ago that my next step as a Cricket Australia director was either to step up or step off the board. 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 fresh ideas as a director of Cricket Australia.”

Asked why he wanted to dismiss himself rather than soldier on and succeed Mr Peever, the ex-chairman he refused to criticise, 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.

“Over the last two weeks, even more so. I’ve got to the stage where 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.

“It’s a bit of a relief. The last 18 months have been taxing … I knew a couple of weeks ago it was time for me to move on.”

Taylor denied the Longstaff ­report, which triggered Mr Peever’s resignation last week, was the sole reason for his decision.

“That’s part of it but going back to MOU discussions last year, trying to repair relationships after MOU, then obviously Cape Town this year, the last six months ­continually trying to repair that relationship between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association,” he said.

“I sit sometimes in an interesting position as a former player, board ­director and also a broadcaster. It can be a very tricky ­position and often very hard to get the balance right between saying too much and saying not enough.”

Taylor’s decision leaves the board with two vacancies. That will make it tougher for a call to be made on whether the bans on Steve Smith and David Warner can overturned.

Taylor said former Test players Simon Katich, Belinda Clark and Alex Blackwell were capable of helping to guide Australian cricket into a new era.

“You often see them pop up in articles in newspapers. If people are making comment, it tells me they’re interested and have input they could make to Australian cricket.’’

Asked when the bloodletting in Australian cricket would end, Taylor said: “I hope it stops with me.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for a re-set in Australian cricket and make that change that everyone talks about.”