Cricket Tasmania plays straight bat to sacking of inaugural skipper Veronica Pyke

Cricket Tasmania has defended its handling of the sacking of its inaugural women’s captain Veronica Pyke.

Veronica Pyke in action for the Hobart Hurricanes. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

CRICKET Tasmania has defended its handling of the sacking of its inaugural women’s captain Veronica Pyke.

Pyke, 38, was delisted by the Tigers on Monday despite being runner-up in the Tigers WNCL player of the year award.

SHOCK AS INAUGURAL SKIPPER QUIETLY DELISTED

The veteran and games record holder who played for the state for a decade told the Mercury she was only told of her delisting late, which stopped her from sounding out other states to continue her playing career.

CT chief executive Nick Cummins said Tigers and WBBL Hurricanes coach Salliann Briggs had been clear with Pyke about her playing future with Tasmania.

“She was told later she wasn’t going to get a contract, but she was told during the WBBL season that she wasn’t in Sal’s long-term plans,” Cummins said.

“If you are 38-year-old player and you are playing for a team that is struggling, which the Hurricanes were, and your coach tells you you are not in her long-term plans, I would expect that is noticed in terms of having to look at other options. That is not to diminish her contribution to Tasmanian cricket, but Sal did give her a very clear indication as to where she stood within the team.”

CT announced her delisting in one line near the bottom of a press release about new recruits. It did not acknowledge her achievements or years of service to the association or Tasmanian cricket.

“We did talk to her about giving her a send-off and framing it a different way but she said effectively, ‘if you don’t want me to play for Tasmania anymore you’ll need to sack me’,” he said. “So that’s ultimately what we did.

“She’s been a fantastic servant and a foundation player and one of our best players over a long period of time, but ultimately it was her choice to do it that way.

“She could have retired but that is not what she wanted to do.”