Andrew Strauss emerges as shock Cricket Australia CEO candidate – report
Andrew Strauss, the former England opener, has emerged as a surprising candidate to become the next chief executive at Cricket Australia, according to a report in The Australian.
Strauss’ time as ECB director of cricket in 2015 was considered a roaring success, with the 43-year-old playing a big role in the overhaul that led to England winning the 2019 World Cup.
The CA are on the lookout for a new candidate, following the resignation of Kevin Roberts, who reportedly struggled to deal with the financial implications of the Covid-19 pandemic – the CA laid off 40 staff members on Wednesday in a cost-cutting measure.
Nick Hockley occupies the CEO role on an interim basis, but the CA are keen for a full-time replacement for Roberts, with Strauss emerging as an option. “One of the most important roles of the board is to appoint a CEO,” chairman Earl Eddings said on Tuesday. “And that’s our role to do that. We’ll take our time and do an extensive search here and overseas.
“In the meantime, we have an outstanding candidate in Nick who can run the show in the meantime. I think that’s one of the most important things as a board that we do.”
“For winning England’s first global trophy, the credit must go firstly to Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower for setting the wheels in motion.”@nassercricket on England’s 2010 @T20WorldCup win in the @WisdenAlmanack.https://t.co/43bCCXBGa2
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 16, 2020
Should Strauss be appointed, some backlash is expected, given his links to England. But the former England captain has links with Australia too. He played for Sydney University in 1998/99, where he met Ruth McDonald, his late wife in whose honour he set up the red day at Lord’s during the 2019 Ashes series. Strauss returned to play for Mosman CC, and in all, has spent four summers Down Under.
In a column for the Daily Telegraph in 2006, Strauss wrote: “Australia is a magnificent country, combining an outstanding climate, with breathtaking views, good food, some of the world’s best wine, excellent shopping, interesting people. It is also, a dry, arid, harsh, and potentially dangerous place, where fools venture at their peril.”
