Nick Hockley, who had served as Cricket Australia’s interim managing director for almost a year, was officially appointed to the post today.

Hockley, who has held the post since the departure of his predecessor Kevin Roberts in June 2020, received unanimous approval from the CA Board of Directors after a recruitment search in which candidates from Australia and beyond sea ​​were interviewed.

He was born in the UK and represented England in rugby at the student level before pursuing a career in corporate finance which saw him relocate to Australia between 2002 and 2005.

Hockley then returned to the UK as trade negotiations manager for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games where he worked for six years before returning to Sydney with his Australian born wife.

He served as General Manager, Sales and Marketing for the 2015 ICC World Cup and was responsible for business projects at CA before being appointed CEO of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup, which broke all records in 2020. .

Hockley served as CEO of the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia later this year before being transferred to India due to COVID-19, and has moved from that role to interim CEO at CA as international and national sports programming was hit hard by the global pandemic.

After overseeing the successful unfolding of last summer’s international and national men’s and women’s seasons amid significant turmoil, Hockley had indicated his interest in the CEO role, which earned him kudos for negotiating a path to through a myriad of business and administrative issues.

“As Australia’s national sport, cricket is central to our national and cultural identity,” he said today.

“I have no illusions about the importance of cricket in the lives of so many Australians, nor the scope and responsibility of this role.

“Leading Cricket Australia is the greatest privilege of my professional life and I am committed to doing all I can to make a positive contribution to the game and to the community.

“Over the past 12 months, I have learned firsthand the scope, breadth and importance of the role.

“My approach has been and will continue to be to bring people together through the game, because I think that’s fundamental to reaching our full potential.

“It has been extremely rewarding to be part of the California, State and Territory Associations and the Australian Cricketers’ Association working together like never before over the past 12 months, to overcome the challenges presented by Covid-19 and deliver a summer for the ages.

“I look forward to building on this momentum and playing my part in deepening these relationships, as well as playing a leading role in growing the game internationally alongside other ICC members. .

“From community cricket to the international arena, Australian Cricket is in excellent shape, thanks to the hard work and dedication of thousands of volunteers, coaches, players, match officials and staff across the country who are all an inspiration to me. .

“I am extremely grateful for the support and trust of our partners and the millions of fans in Australia and around the world who encourage our teams.

“We are committed to being an organization you can be proud of and a sport everyone belongs to.

“I would also like to thank the CA Board of Directors for placing their trust in me to continue to lead CA at this important and exciting time for the sport.

“The change and complexity brought about by COVID-19 has created many challenges, but also many opportunities.

“As I work with our partners through the game, I feel confident and optimistic about the ability of cricket to meet the challenges of the modern world and thrive.”

Earlier this month, CA announced a full international schedule for 2021-2022 that includes both men’s and women’s Ashes series, as well as a historic women’s multi-format series against India and the first men’s test between Australia and the ‘Afghanistan.

CA chairman Earl Eddings congratulated Hockley on his appointment after the search for a new CEO to replace Roberts was halted last year in order to focus on the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“Nick’s contribution to Australian Cricket has been immense and, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I am very happy to confirm his appointment as CEO, which was unanimously approved by the Board,” said Eddings today.

“From hosting the historic T20 Women’s World Cup to ensuring a safe and successful 2020-21 season, Nick has already proven himself to be at the highest level of sports administrators in Australia and around the world.

“Nick has been appointed interim CEO at an incredibly difficult time for Australian sport and society in general, and there have been many instances where the unique obstacles in his path must have seemed overwhelming.

“But through his leadership, determination, value ethic and vision for the game, Australian Cricket came out stronger than ever.

“For that Nick deserves enormous credit.

“In addition to his excellent strategy and delivery record, Nick has been instrumental in galvanizing Australian Cricket and strengthening relationships with our partners.

“I have no doubt that these bonds will deepen under his leadership, which will serve to grow the game at all levels.

“Only 14 people have been CEOs or secretary of Australia’s national cricket body, and only 12 since the then Australian Supervisory Board for International Cricket was formally established 116 years ago.

“I firmly believe that Nick will be considered among the best of them and will carry on his legacy of making cricket a sport for all Australians.

“The role of CEO of CA is one of the most recognized in the sport and as a result we have been fortunate to have many exceptional candidates applying for the position.

“The Board of Directors and I thank each of them and wish them good luck in their future endeavors.”



About The Author

Related Posts