AusLeisure

Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland has announced that he will step down, giving 12 months' notice of resignation from the position he has held for 17 years.

Announced the move at a media conference in Melbourne today, Sutherland announced his intention to leave Cricket Australia, which he joined in 1998 in order for the organisation to plan for a successor.

He denied that his resignation had been hastened by the ball-tampering scandal surrounding Australia’s tour of South Africa in March.

Commenting on his resignation, Sutherland advised "I feel very comfortable that this is the right time for me and a good time for the game.

"It is something that I have been thinking about for a long time. We have had some big, big things to deal with over the course of the last 12 months.

"After nearly 20 years at Cricket Australia and 17 years as Chief Executive, the time is right for me and my family, and I think the time is also right for cricket."

During his tenure, Sutherland oversaw the introduction of day-night Test matches and the highly successful Twenty20 series Big Bash League.

Among recent achievements, he cited a new strategy for Australian cricket, a lucrative television rights deal and a pay agreement for male and female cricketers.

However, over the past year he has presided over what has arguably Australian cricket's most tumultuous period.

The pay agreement in 2017 descended into a messy dispute that saw cricketers threatening to boycott matches.

He also faced scrutiny over his response to the ball-tampering scandal during the recent tour of South Africa which saw Test caption Steve Smith, former vice-captain David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft given lengthy suspensions for the tampering.

Coach Darren Lehmann also stood down after the incident, despite being cleared of wrongdoing.

Some observers had suggested that Sutherland was slow to respond to the crisis, and that as Chief Executive he should also accept blame for team culture.

Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever paid tribute to Sutherland's performance in the role, commenting "James has done an incredible job and has always carried himself with integrity, humility and dignity, apart from knowing the game of cricket inside out.

"He is, without doubt, the best sporting administrator in Australia and the best in world cricket.

"James has been instrumental in driving change around the game to make it even stronger for future generations.

"When he leaves the game, he can most certainly say it's much stronger for him having been here."

Asked how Cricket Australia would approach the search for a successor, Peever added “we must find the best person for the role and in order to do that we must build the most competitive field to select from … we will probably have a little bit of bias towards an Australian, but I don't want to put constraints on it.” 

Image: James Sutherland announces his intention to leave Cricket Australia.

13th April 2018 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA SECURES $1.2 BILLION BROADCAST DEAL

29th March 2018 - MAGELLAN QUITS CRICKET AUSTRALIA TEST SPONSORSHIP

27th March 2018 - AWKWARD CHOICES FOR CRICKET AUSTRALIA IN WAKE OF BALL TAMPERING SCANDAL

26th March 2018 - SKINS CHAIRMAN JAIMIE FULLER PUBLISHES SCATHING LETTER TO CRICKET AUSTRALIA FOLLOWING BALL TAMPERING

26th March 2018 - CHEATING REVELATIONS SEES STEVE SMITH STAND DOWN AS AUSTRALIA CAPTAIN FOR REST OF CAPE TOWN TEST

25th March 2018 - AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION CALLS FOR STEVE SMITH TO BE STOOD DOWN

25th March 2018 - AUSTRALIAN CRICKET IN TURMOIL OVER BALL-TAMPERING SCANDAL 

11th January 2018 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA AND MILO END 25 YEAR SPONSORSHIP OF JUNIOR GAME

5th August 2017 - FEDERAL SPORTS MINISTER LAUNCHES REVIEW INTO INTEGRITY OF AUSTRALIAN SPORT

2nd August 2017 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA AND PLAYERS’ UNION REACH LANDMARK PAY DEAL 

7th July 2017 - SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR CANCELLED AS CRICKET AUSTRALIA PAY DISPUTE CONTINUES

1st July 2017 - AUSTRALIA’S ELITE CRICKETERS UNEMPLOYED AFTER PAY DISPUTE DEADLINE PASSES 

27th June 2017 - AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS’ ASSOCIATION FEARS NO RESOLUTION OF CRICKET AUSTRALIA PAY DISPUTE 

28th April 2017 - PLAYERS REJECT CRICKET AUSTRALIA PAY OFFER 

22nd March 2017 - MCG SET TO BREAK CROWD ATTENDANCE RECORDS

27th October 2016 - PROFIT DOWNTURN PRESENTS CHALLENGES FOR CRICKET AUSTRALIA 

17th October 2016 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA TO STAGE STANDALONE WOMEN’S WORLD T20 TOURNAMENT

13th July 2016 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES $4 MILLION BACKING FOR GRASSROOTS WOMEN’S CRICKET

1st June 2016 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA AGREES GABBA TEST CRICKET DEAL

9th May 2016 - BIG BASH LEAGUE ENJOYS TOP SPORT VIEWING RATINGS

19th September 2015 - THE GABBA COULD MISS OUT ON FUTURE TEST MATCHES TO ADELAIDE AND PERTH

27th June 2015 - CRICKET AUSTRALIA LOOKS TO STATES TO PAY MORE FOR TEST CRICKET HOSTING

Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.