CA names new 'chief of cricket' to oversee the game

The increasingly crammed and complex nature of global scheduling has led Cricket Australia to revamp its operations including the appointment of the organisation's first Chief of Cricket.

James Allsop takes on the freshly created role having previously overseen the community cricket portfolio, with his new remit also encompassing CA's talent pathway programs, high performance and national teams.

Current Executive General Manager of National Teams Ben Oliver will remain in his role with the change in structure granting him a clearer focus on the preparation and performance of Australia's world champion men's and women's outfits.

Both Allsopp and Oliver will be members of the CA executive team, along with former Australia rower-turned-investment banker Sarah Pragnell who has been appointed Chief Financial Officer.

During his playing days as a keeper-batter, Allsopp was a member of New South Wales' 2001-02 under-19 national champion team alongside future national representative Dan Christian and also played against an England academy team that included the ECB's current managing director of cricket Rob Key.

"I’m delighted that James Allsopp will become the first Chief of Cricket, a role that will help ensure connection and alignment from community cricket, talent pathways programs, high performance systems through to national teams," CA Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley said in announcing the new appointments today.

"James brings a wealth of experience and success as a player, coach and administrator and his expertise and leadership will ensure we can build on the success we’ve had across all areas of the game."

A former Victoria and Tasmania representative who then headed up the Western Australia Cricket Association's hugely successful program, Oliver was appointed CA's boss of High Performance and National Teams in 2019.

Over the past five years he has overseen victories at the World Test Championship final as well as ODI and T20 World Cups (men), and ICC global ODI and T20 trophies plus a Commonwealth Games gold medal (women).

Australia also remains the holder of the men's and women's Ashes, with the latter trophy to be contested in a multi-format series starting January 12 next year and culminating in an historic day-night Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (January 30-February 2).

"Cricket’s incredible global growth is creating many opportunities as well as an added level of complexity and this change ensures that Ben Oliver is able to concentrate his full focus on the sustainable success of our national teams, building on the amazing results achieved in recent years," Hockley said.

"I’m confident these appointments will have strong benefits for cricket at all levels as we look towards what will be an exciting and challenging season including the five-Test NRMA Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the CommBank Women’s Ashes series.

"Together with the excitement of Big Bash Leagues, these blockbuster series will help drive growth in junior participation programs and competitions across the country."

Pragnell, who was previously regional chief financial officer and group corporate finance director with global health and nutrition company H&H Group and holds a masters of finance from the European Institute of Business Administration, takes over as CFO from Samantha Douglas who departed CA earlier this year.

"Sarah Pragnell brings a wealth of experience to the role of CFO from her time as a senior finance executive with the H&H Group (Swisse Wellness), as well as her previous experience with Macquarie Capital, Lion Capital Advisory and Medibank Private," Hockley said.

"Sarah was the standout candidate through a highly competitive process and brings valuable commercial finance skills to cricket."