CA to review Australia team culture next week
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MELBOURNE: A review into the culture of the Australian cricket team would be made public next week and had not been delayed, the chairman of Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday.
David Peever, who as re-elected as chairman for another three years at the organisation’s annual general meeting on Thursday, said the report from the Ethics Centre would be released on Monday, after the CA board had discussed it with stakeholders.
“There has been no delay,” Peever told reporters. “We didn’t get a final copy of the review until this week. We have always said they will be released before the start of the international men’s summer, which is what is happening.”
CA commissioned the warts and all review of its organisation and the men’s team after a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa earlier this year threw the team into turmoil.
Captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft were banned for their roles in the scandal, which prompted a mix of anger and schadenfreude, with media pundits and former players suggesting Australia had brought themselves undone with the aggressive way they played the game.
The ball-tampering scandal was also seen as a watershed for the sport in Australia with CA launching the root-and-branch review and ordering a charter governing player behaviour.
Since the scandal broke, coach Darren Lehmann has resigned, while chief executive James Sutherland said he would step down from his role after almost 20 years in the job, although he said it had no bearing on his decision.
He will be replaced by former deputy Kevin Roberts.
Peever, whose own position as chairman was under criticism from the local players’ association, refused to divulge what was in the report’s recommendations.
“I don’t want to pre-empt any of the conversations,” Peever said. “We accept our share of the responsibility of events. Tomorrow [Friday] at our board meeting, we’ll be going through the recommendations with a view of trying to be clear [in what CA’s response will be].”
Peever’s re-election came as the governing body reported a return to profit, boosted by a massive six-year television and digital rights contract.
Australian cricket’s governing body reported a surplus of Aus$8.3 million (US$5.9 million) for the year ending June 30, after incurring a deficit of Aus$50.8 million in the previous 12 months.
Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2018
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