Cricket: Led by Stuart Broad, England have taken control of the Third Test against the West Indies.
There are lingering concerns about the future of Cricket Australia after another former Test cricketer resigned from the Board this week.Source:News Corp Australia
Cricket Australia’s Board has come under question after former Australian paceman Michael Kasprowicz resigned on Wednesday.
As first reported by News Corp’s Robert Craddock and Peter Lalor, Kasprowicz stepped down from his position on the Board after becoming frustrated with the direction of its leadership.
The former Test cricketer boasted a wealth of experience in cricket administration, including stints as President of the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and interim chief executive of Queensland Cricket.
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Kasprowicz’s departure leaves the CA Board without any Test cricketers apart from Mel Jones, who played the last of her five Test matches in 2003.
Speaking on ABC’s Offsiders, veteran cricket reporter Gideon Haigh discussed the impact Kasprowicz’s departure would have on the sport.
CA and the ACA were involved in an ugly pay dispute in 2017, and Haigh believed Kasprowicz should have been a significant figure in the discussions considering his background. However, the Queenslander went “missing in action” during the lengthy dispute.
Michael Kasprowicz claimed 113 Test wickets for Australia.Source:News Corp Australia
“It didn’t come out of left field really … for the last couple of years, people have been wondering exactly what Michael Kasprowicz is bringing to the Board,” Haigh said on Sunday.
“He’s a big-hearted guy, and honest toiler — but I don’t think he had the skills to make a huge, board-based contribution.”
The CA Board underwent a mammoth overhaul after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal — including the departure of former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor — and two chief executives have stepped down from their position over the past two years.
Since the coronavirus lockdown, CA has been forced to make significant staff cuts, which has caused tension between themselves and the state associations.
Without the influence of former players, there are lingering concerns the CA Board will struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with the ACA and the states. According to The Australian, Kasprowicz cited a lack of trust between the states and the board as a reason for his premature departure.
Interesting comments by Gideon, don’t completely agree but there’s issues and the states feel disenfranchised. Not sure former Test players are necessarily the solution. Having said that, imagine if @RickyPonting stepped up 🙂 https://t.co/urXiv8zPpE
“There is a considerable mandate for board reform coming from the states at the moment, and it is worrying that this is one of the least experienced boards in terms of direct international involvement in my memory,” Haigh said.
“Since Allan Border joined in 2012, you’ve had Border, Mark Taylor, Matthew Hayden serving on the Board, and Kasprowicz as well.
“The most experienced cricketer on that Board at the moment is Mel Jones … and if you look at the rest of them, it’s pretty male, it’s pretty pale, and it’s not very experienced on the field.
“Perhaps the time has come for a Chairman, a genuinely uniting and conspicuous figure who has universal respect, like an Ian Healy or a Steve Waugh.”