‘Sandpaper-gate’ suspensions could derail Cricket Australias bid to repair relationship with players
The seven-month shadow that's been hanging over Australian cricket may begin to lift as a new season gets underway with today's ODI against South Africa in Perth … but two hurdles remain.
Cricket Australia must find a new chairman after the resignation of David Peever this past week, and the Australian Cricketers Association wants to see a new attitude towards the players from the governing body — including an early return for the three suspended players involved in March's 'sandpaper-gate' cheating scandal.
It's this second hurdle that could still derail the tentative steps the two bodies have taken on the path to reconciliation following the fallout from an acrimonious MOU last year.
The Ethics Centre report into the culture of Australian cricket, released this week, identifies the need for a "constructive working relationship" between the two bodies as the most urgent of its 42 recommendations.
The CEOs of both bodies have spoken exclusively to The Ticket and it is evident challenges remain.
'Challenging time for cricket.'
Newly installed Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts said he wasn't shocked the organisation was described as 'arrogant' and 'controlling' in the culture review.
"Look, I do recognise that description, interestingly," he said.
"It's a challenging time for cricket, it's important that I front up and have an open chat about it.
"We have to be more humble and more respectful in all our relationships — and that's not to say that cricket's been terrible in that regard.
"But if people in their experiences with Cricket Australia suggest that the organisation has been arrogant, it's not my place to tell them they should feel differently," Roberts said.
"I put my hand up to be accountable for driving the changes that we need into the future.
"When I first read the review — I've got to be open and say — I was sad to read a lot of that feedback.
"People's experience and their feelings about how they've interacted with Cricket Australia are real and so we ignore that at our peril.
"It'd be easy to say they are isolated examples, or they're opinions not fact, or what have you, but I'm not for doing that."
Roberts also identified the clear need for a better relationship between the governing body and its players.
"That, frankly, has been there for all to see … but we've got to come together as equals and I'm really committed to bringing those two sides of the organisation together," he said.
Evidence of a change of behaviour
For his part, ACA boss Alistair Nicholson, wants to see 'evidence' of a "change in behaviour" from the governing body and an acceptance of Cricket Australia's responsibility for fostering a "winning without considering the costs" environment that is said to have contributed to the players conspiring to cheat in March.
"Obviously we would like the three players that are currently banned to have their circumstances reviewed," Nicholson said.
"I think the players have taken responsibility for what happened and now, based on this independent report, the accountability around Cricket Australia and the CA board is now really in the limelight.
"It's probably one for the shareholders of the sport, who are the states, to really look into."
While a reduction of the suspensions is not the sole measure the ACA is using to judge an improvement in the relationship with Cricket Australia, it appears to be the most integral.
"The relationship is not just on that but that's an important piece," Nicholson said.
"The reality is there are a lot of things that we need to work through and that's why I said at the start getting this process started formally is really important."
Early return on the cards?
Before his resignation this week, Peever was adamant the suspensions would be served in full.
With Peever gone, there are some who believe the players' early return is now likely.
However, Roberts was non-committal when asked about his position on a possible reduction of the penalties for former team captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and batsman Cameron Bancroft.
"It's a really emotive topic," Roberts said.
"On the day that the incident happened in Cape Town, some people felt that they had a piece of their hearts ripped out and a piece of cricket's heart was damaged, if you like.
"But at the same time, let's not forget that the three players who have been sanctioned, they're human beings as well … they made significant errors of judgment but forgiveness is important.
"There's no mechanism that exists right now to reconsider those sanctions."
Importantly, the players themselves have not asked for their suspensions to be reviewed, rather it is being driven by the players' association.
The ACA potentially faces being accused of continuing to live in the "gilded bubble", as described in the culture review, and falling foul of those who said the bad behaviour of some senior male players had gone unpunished for too long.
"Our role is to represent the players," Nicholson said.
"We understand the public, and the outrage that occurred, and certainly we're not condoning what happened … that's really important to understand.
"But … based on the new evidence of the system and the organisational culture that was prevalent at the time, does that potentially mean there's a recalibration of these bans? And that basically becomes a matter for the Cricket Australia board."
Healing old wounds
The board's main priority is finding a new member to replace the departed Peever, and to elect a new chairman.
That process will be discussed at a midweek board meeting of the eight remaining members, with Victorian Earl Eddings acting as chair.
The more pressing issue is for incoming boss Roberts to rebuild his fractured relationship with the country's most senior players after his failed oversight of the 2017 MOU.
After stalled negotiations hit a crisis point, with the players off contract and refusing to play, Roberts was taken out of the negotiations and replaced by then-boss James Sutherland.
When asked how he plans to remake his relationship with the players, Roberts said the process had already begun.
"That's a really fair question," he said.
"I guess one of the reflections I've got is a page in The Ethics Centre review that notes some of the recent successes … uniting states and territories, our pursuit of gender pay equity and our dramatically increased investment in community cricket along with, on the downside, the MOU.
"The reality is I was at the centre of all four of those things … you could say there are three successes and there's one where I certainly reflect on what I could have done better," Roberts said.
"I'm human, I'm imperfect like the rest of us and the biggest lesson for me out of that experience is that our relationship with the ACA needs to be defined by the work we do day in day out, year in year out, rather than by a five-yearly negotiation."
A positive response
Last month, Roberts met the Australian male players on tour in Abu Dhabi and addressed the team for the first time.
He said he was surprised by their response.
"I invited Alistair Nicholson into the room for that address and I actually invited the players to hold me to account for building the ACA relationship," Roberts said.
"I still am a life member of the ACA and have volunteered a lot of time to them over the years so there's no hiding from the fact that the MOU negotiation last year was an issue and I was a key player in that … but I'm also not starting from zero with the players or the ACA.
"I was really heartened. There was actually applause. I didn't expect that."
Roberts says his message to cricket fans and the Australian sporting public is linked to the recent discussion he had with the players.
"The question is to what extent should we focus on winning," he said.
"I've encouraged the players by saying that our goal will always be to win — just like every other professional sporting organisation — but more importantly, the non-negotiable expectation is that we compete with respect and when we win, we win with honour.
"And ultimately we want to do Australians proud."
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