Dud international fixture and sale of home games in sights as Tony Harrison nominates for CT board

Revenue is important but members and fans also need to be considered, says a former Cricket Australia director and Cricket Tasmania chairman as he launches a bid to rejoin the CT board.

Foremer Cricket Tasmania chairman Tony Harrison is pushing to return to the board.

A FORMER Cricket Tasmania chairman has nominated for a return to the board in part due to Tasmania’s dud international fixture lists and the sale of a Big Bash game to Alice Springs.

Tony Harrison, who was on the CT board for 22 years including eight as chairman and was a Cricket Australia director for 16 years, has put his hand up for nomination at the request of disgruntled members and fans.

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Harrison stood down from the CT board in 2015 due to a change in CA governance that said directors could not also be on state association boards.

“Now that I’ve retired from CA, many longstanding members came to me and expressed some concern at the direction and asked was I interested,” Harrison told the Mercury.

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He said his experience and knowledge of CA after his many years as a director would benefit Tasmanian cricket in the future.

“I know how the organisation works,” he said.

“I know which buttons to push to get results and I think I can help get a better international program for Tasmania but also hopefully get more resources so CT doesn’t have to sell its games away from Blundstone Arena.”

Tasmania will host no games from the women’s Twenty20 World Cup next year, and no Australia games from the men’s T20 World Cup.

The state is also without a Test in the foreseeable future and its only international match for the upcoming summer — a 50-over game against New Zealand on March 20 — clashes with the opening round of the AFL season.

CT announced last week it had sold the Hurricanes’ opening home match to Alice Springs, reducing Blundstone Arena games from five to four.

The Hobart Hurricanes will play their opening “home” game of BBL|09 in Alice Springs. Picture: GETTY

Harrison said he understood the reasoning behind the decision to sell the game, but believed moves could be made to stop offloading local content.

“I’m disappointed for members and cricket fans particularly,” he said.

“We don’t have a big program, it is not as though we have a Test match and a couple of one-dayers here each summer for the fans to come to so the Big Bash is really theirs.

“We worked really hard to get the Hurricanes.

“The first iteration of the Big Bash there wasn’t a Hobart side in it so I fought very hard to make sure there was a Hobart side in it.

“I just don’t like to see games going away from Tasmania to be honest.

“I just think that is not good for members and fans.

“Revenue is important but members and fans also need to be considered, that was always my approach and it will continue to be my approach.”

Nominations for the board closed at noon and it is believed there are two spots available.

Mr Harrison said he would not be running for the position of chairman, currently held by Andrew Gaggin.