Sutherland retained by CA

Cricket Australia has moved to secure the long-term future of Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland, with the Board agreeing to move him from a fixed-term contract to an ongoing employment arrangement.

Sutherland's contract had been due to expire after next year's ICC Cricket World Cup and CA Chairman Wally Edwards said the change recognised "the outstanding job James is doing leading Australian cricket".

"The game’s comprehensive strategic plan is on track and the outcomes from our team performance, governance and national financial model reviews are starting to take hold," said Edwards.

“As a Board, we want James to continue his work leading Australian cricket, with the aim to be the number one sport for viewership, fan passion, participation, team success and to be a completely unified national sport.”

Sutherland has held Australian cricket’s top job for more than 13 years, taking over from Malcolm Speed in June 2001 as a 35-year-old with the then Australian Cricket Board eyeing a long-term CEO.

The former Victorian first-class cricketer became the youngest CEO in the ACB’s history when he was appointed at 35 years of age – one month younger than Australia’s captain at the time, Steve Waugh – and is now the same age as Speed was when he was first appointed.

During his tenure, Sutherland has overseen the governing body’s name change from the ACB to Cricket Australia, participation has leapt from 436,000 Australians playing the game to more than 1.1 million. The successful introduction of the KFC T20 Big Bash has played its part with revenue growing from $56.5m in 2001 to a forecast of more than $300m this year.

“I’m very grateful to the board for the confidence and faith it has showed in me to continue as CEO beyond next year,” Sutherland said

“That confidence is really a reflection of the great work being carried out by CA staff and those at State and Territory Associations who strive each day to make cricket great.

“It is a huge honour to lead the game and I’m as passionate as I have ever been to deliver on our strategy of making cricket Australia’s favourite sport.”

The announcement comes ahead of what promises to be a huge summer for Australian cricket fans, with a limited-overs series against South Africa, four Tests against India followed by a one-day tri-series between Australia, India and England and culminating in the World Cup in February and March.