While Cricket Australia (CA) is currently facing a deep crisis, there has now opened up a battle to become the next CA CEO. Very surprisingly, the former England captain and former Director of Cricket for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Sir Andrew Strauss, has reportedly become a candidate to take the role of next CA CEO.
The recent financial crisis has put the CA in a deep mess. CA CEO Kevin Roberts, who took up the role around 20 months ago, has been removed from the post on last Tuesday (16th June). Nick Hockley, the CEO of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 local organising committee, is currently handling the CA CEO role for the interim period. So, the CA is now busy to find out a proper candidate for this post.
According to a recent report in The Australian, some influentials are supporting Sir Andrew Strauss for the next CA CEO role. CA Chairman Earl Eddings also recently claimed that the board is searching for the full-time CEO ‘here and overseas’.
Former England captain Strauss played the international cricket between 2003 and 2012 where he played 100 Tests, 127 ODIs and four T20Is. Under his captaincy, England cricket achieved some great successes, remarkably noted winning the 2010/11 Ashes series in Australia which was there first Ashes series victory in Australia since 1986/87.
Sir Andrew Strauss was an impactful Director of Cricket for the ECB
Strauss also played a very important role as a Director of Cricket for the ECB in the build-up a strong limited-overs England team, who has not only dominated in the world but also won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and just missed out to winning the ICC World T20 2016 (finished as the runners-up). He took up that role in 2015, after England’s early exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and encouraged the England cricket to grow up to end their ICC trophy droughts. During his tenure, England Women’s cricket team also won the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 at home.
Strauss resigned from the role of Director of Cricket for the ECB in October 2018 due to his wife’s illness, who was battling against lung cancer and later died on 29th December 2018.