David Boon is in line to become the most legendary Australian cricketer to lead a state association since Sir Donald Bradman when the Cricket Tasmania board next meets.
On Thursday night at the state’s AGM, the long-serving chair Andrew Gaggin and his predecessor and former Cricket Australia board director Tony Harrison both retired after lengthy spells charting the direction of Tasmanian cricket.
Justin Langer vents his frustration with match referee David Boon at Manuka Oval during a T20 international between Australia and India in 2020. Credit:Fox Sports
Senior cricket sources told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that Boon, who joined the Tasmania board in 2014 and has served as Gaggin’s deputy, is expected to be elected as chair at its subsequent directors meeting on September 19, in a role opposite that of his former state and Australia teammate Ricky Ponting, head of strategy for the Hobart Hurricanes.
Cricket Tasmania declined to comment.
While Dennis Lillee and Alan Davidson served as presidents of the associations of Western Australia and New South Wales, both were ceremonial roles next to that of the state chair. Bradman led the SACA between 1965 and 1973, and also chaired the Australian Cricket Board for two terms, 1960-63 and 1969-72.
Boon’s emergence as Tasmania’s likely leader has arrived at a time when state associations have rebalanced their relationships with CA after some years of more centralised governance.
Since playing the last of his 107 Test matches in 1996, 61-year-old Boon has acted very much as a custodian of the game, serving as Tasmania’s cricket manager, as an Australian selector and in recent years as an ICC match referee overseas and then at home during COVID-19.
Well liked and respected in that role, Boon held his ground when pushed, notably during a very public debate with the ex-Australian coach Justin Langer on the boundary’s edge at a match between Australian and India in Canberra in late 2020. It is not clear whether Boon will need to give up those match referee duties as CT chair.
The influence of Boon can also be seen in how staunchly Tasmania defended the former Test captain Tim Paine when he was compelled to resign the office in late 2021 after revelations of explicit texts and images he had sent to a former state association staff member.
At the time, Gaggin’s statement in defence of Paine carried the distinctive mark of a former senior player for Australia. Boon had served as Allan Border’s vice-captain and held the honour of “songmaster” for a decade.
“In conversations I have had in recent days it is clear that the anger amongst the Tasmanian cricket community and general public is palpable,” Gaggin had said. “Tim Paine has been a beacon for Australian cricket over the past four years and instrumental in salvaging the reputation of the national team after the calamity of Cape Town.
“Yet, at a time when CA should have supported Tim, he was evidently regarded as dispensable. The treatment afforded to the Australian Test captain by Cricket Australia has been appalling, and the worst since Bill Lawry over 50 years ago.“
David Boon batting for Tasmania against Victoria at the MCG.Credit:Ken Irwin
CA is presently searching for new directors to fill one or more vacancies on the board ahead of its October AGM. With David Maddocks to leave his role as Cricket Victoria chair and replace Mel Jones, he will most likely be succeeded by Ross Hepburn.
Tuck Waldron resigned as chair of Western Australia Cricket at the association’s regular meeting on Monday night. The association’s deputy chair is the former WA and Australia cricketer Avril Fahey.
In South Australia, the SACA’s president Andrew Sinclair is also set to retire and be replaced by his deputy Will Rayner. Daniel Harris, the former Redbacks opening batter who has distinguished himself in the medical profession, is a nominee to join the SACA board.
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