Cricket Australia has announced former NSW premier Mike Baird will take over as its new chairman, during a drama-filled week for the sport’s governing body.
Current chair Dr Lachlan Henderson made the “difficult” decision to step down due to his interstate work commitments, in a tumultuous week for CA on the back of David Warner’s bombshell claims relating to the Sandpapergate fiasco.
“The new role I’ve taken in my home city of Perth will make it difficult to devote the time required as Chair, so I have decided this is the right time to hand over the role,” he said on Sunday.
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Henderson will continue in the role until mid-February and then remain on the CA board.
Baird will take over following “unanimous endorsement” from CA directors and State and Territory chairs.
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“It’s an honour to take such an important role in Australian cricket at a time when so much exciting work is being done to grow our national sport and take it forward,” he said.
“I’m pleased to have the chance to work even more closely with CEO Nick Hockley and his team and all those working across Australian cricket.”
Hockley refuses to budge on Warner saga | 02:22
It’s been a testing week for Cricket Australia, after Warner unloaded in a shock statement on the eve of the Second Test on the process of attempting to overturn his leadership ban.
He accused the review panel of trying to make it “a public lynching”, while finding plenty of support from fellow cricketers across the country.
Warner’s manager James Erskine then followed that statement up with the bombshell that players “were told” to tamper with the ball in explosive new claims.
Hockley went on the offensive on SEN Radio on Friday, labelling Erskine’s comments “unhelpful and unfounded”.
Warner ‘is so loved by the group’ | 00:28
“We made an application as did David to the independent panel for it to be private. We don’t think it is anyone’s interests for this to be public,” he said.
“But the panel as is their right, they felt it appropriate for it to be transparent and on that basis David has chosen to withdraw.
“The opportunity remains in the future for him to reapply if he so chooses.”
Greenberg: They left him no choice | 01:58
Warner has the support of Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Todd Greenberg, who says the opener had no alternative but to withdraw his attempts to overturn his leadership ban.
Greenberg, who was hired by the ACA after the events of the 2018 ball tampering saga, claimed Cricket Australia had a chance to conduct the review at the beginning of 2022.
He believes denying Warner the opportunity to be a leader in Australian cricket is a “significantly missed opportunity”.
