Cricket Australia rebuild set to continue with High Performance Manager Pat Howard to walk away

CRICKET Australia is set for another major shake-up, with High Performance manager Pat Howard becoming the latest influential figure to depart the sport after a difficult few years.

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AUSTRALIA’s head of team performance Pat Howard has signalled he will step away from his post at the end of next year’s Ashes series.

Howard has headed up Cricket Australia’s entire high performance operations since 2011, after the creation of his all-encompassing role was one of the key recommendations made by the Don Argus Review.

It’s understood Howard has been informing players and staff that he will leave his post once his contract expires towards the end of 2019.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland (left) is on the way out and High Performance Manager Pat Howard (R) isn’t far behind. Picture: AAP

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Vacating his role in 12 months’ time would allow a fresh start at a vital time for Justin Langer’s new-look set-up, and would also provide adequate time for Cricket Australia to search for a successor.

Cricket Australia is on the verge of handing down its independent cultural review commissioned in the wake of the South African sandpapergate scandal.

Howard still holds significant support on Cricket Australia’s board as the organisation braces for a cultural review that will focus on the high performance unit he holds responsibility for as one of its key investigations.

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With cricket’s two most high-profile series the World Cup and the Ashes tour of England coming up next year it would make sense to maintain a sense of continuity through to the end of that cycle.

Similar to the time buffer given to find a replacement for James Sutherland as chief executive, Cricket Australia would be able to begin an exhaustive process to fill one of the most important positions in the game.

Howard has been a central figure for Australian cricket throughout a roller-coaster period that has included World Cup and Ashes wins and Mickey Arthur and Darren Lehmann coming and going as head coaches.

Howard’s strategies and influence have often polarised opinions in Australian cricket. Picture Luke Bowden

Some of the former Wallabies’ fly-half’s strategies have polarised cricket purists but his work ethic and willingness to take responsibility has impressed the board and outgoing chief James Sutherland.

During last year’s protracted pay dispute, many players felt the war would have been settled sooner had Howard been in charge, no matter what their differences were.

He has worked hard to try and improve Australia’s performances overseas with the implementation of regular A tours in advance of international assignments.

Although Australia’s second Test loss to Pakistan in the UAE was a setback, there is a feeling that solid building blocks have been put in place for the reconstruction effort ahead with Langer’s appointment and the blooding of young stars like Travis Head.

The World Cup and the Ashes would represent a logical end point to his tenure.

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Originally published as Cricket Australia rebuild set to continue with High Performance Manager Pat Howard to walk away