Kevin Roberts replaces James Sutherland as Cricket Australia CEO

Kevin Roberts has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cricket Australia (CA), replacing James Sutherland.

Kevin Roberts has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cricket Australia (CA), replacing James Sutherland.

Sutherland had announced in June he was quitting as CEO after being 17 years in charge following the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket.

“It is a great privilege and responsibility to lead and serve the cricket community as CEO of Cricket Australia,” Roberts said on Wednesday. “I thank the Board for this opportunity and look forward to commencing in the role.”

Roberts, 46, will formally take over as CEO on October 25. He was CA’s lead negotiator when pay dispute erupted between the administrators and the players last year. During that impasse, several top cricketers were left without a contract for around a month.

“One of the many things I love about cricket as our national sport is its ability to bring people together and inspire us, regardless of our age, gender or cultural background,” he said.

Roberts played 23 first-class and 18 List A matches for New South Wales between 1994 and 1998. Later, he pursued a career in management and was associated with top sporting brands including adidas and 2XU. He joined CA as a board director in 2012.

“Our success is made possible by the hard work of Cricket Australia employees, players, coaches and State and Territory Cricket Associations, along with the contribution of volunteers who are the lifeblood of our game in the community,” he said.

He further added, “I am inspired by the many people who give so much to cricket in paid and unpaid roles and I am passionate about helping them achieve ongoing success.

“It’s also true that the game and Cricket Australia have faced some difficult times recently, but we will bounce back, just as our organisation has overcome challenges on and off the field many times in its proud history.

“Under my leadership, we will be deeply committed to providing the best experiences of cricket to everyone who watches the game or plays the game, and we will work closely with our broadcasters and commercial partners to deliver on that commitment.”