Who could become Cricket Australia’s next chair?
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The Longstaff Review into Cricket Australia's cultural failings claimed another victim yesterday when David Peever resigned as chairman just a week after signing a new three-year contract.
It means the focus now turns to who could succeed Peever's incredibly short stint, with interim chairman Earl Eddings headlining the contenders.
Earl Eddings
The favourite. The Victorian was appointed interim chairman following Mr Peever's resignation, having also been named deputy chairman at last week's annual general meeting.
He is the managing director of Riskcom, a risk-management company, and a former first-grade batsman in Melbourne (as Peever was in Brisbane).
Eddings is currently the co-chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Cricket Advisory Committee, and he attended this year's International Cricket Council annual conference in Dublin alongside Peever.
Jacquie Hey
Jacquie Hey made history in 2012 when she became the first woman appointed to CA's board.
Hey is well placed to oversee the cultural change that The Ethics Centre called for in its independent review, having chaired CA's review subcommittee.
The former boss of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand boasts plenty of corporate expertise and sits on several boards, including those of ASX top-50 companies Qantas and AGL Energy.
John Harnden
John Harnden is a well-respected sporting administrator, who was on the final shortlist to replace James Sutherland as chief executive officer.
His resume includes stints as chief executive of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, South Australian Cricket Association, the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and 2015 Cricket World Cup.
His appointment would go a long way in ensuring Australia's staging of the 2020 World Twenty20 is a success.
Michael Kasprowicz
If the board heeds Malcolm Speed's call for a "dyed-in-the-wool cricket" leader, then the former president of the players' union could be their man.
Mark Taylor has already made it clear he doesn't want the top job.
Kasprowicz became CA's youngest director when appointed in 2011, before he briefly left in 2016 to serve as Queensland Cricket's interim chief executive, before returning to CA later that year.
As founding partner of consultancy firm Venture India, the MBA-qualified fast bowler knows how business works in the sport's financial powerhouse.
Why not Mark Taylor?
Long-serving board member Taylor, who has served as a conduit between administrators and players for almost 15 years, has declared himself out of the race despite pleas from former CA chief executive Malcolm Speed and former CA chairman Bob Merriman.
Taylor, who played 104 Tests and captained Australia before slipping into Channel Nine's commentary box, cited the obvious hurdle that is his three-year contract with the TV station that is broadcasting both the Ashes and World Cup next year.
"Given my media role, I don't believe being chairman would be appropriate," Taylor told the Nine Network.
Nine still holds rights to the World Cup and Ashes next year despite losing out on broadcasting future home series to Channel Seven and Fox Sports.
Taylor has had to excuse himself from board meetings whenever media rights have been discussed.
Whoever takes over as chairman would need to be across these issues.
AAP/ABC
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