Pat Howard's sacking follows the recent resignations of David Peever and Mark Taylor.GETTY IMAGES
Kevin Roberts "made his first key moves" as Cricket Australia CEO as High Performance Manager Pat Howard and another senior exec "became the latest casualties in the wake of the damning review into the governing body's corporate culture," according to Andrew Wu of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Howard's "controversial seven-year reign was brought to an end" while the man who "oversaw the sport's record TV deal," Ben Amarfio, was "dramatically shown the door," reportedly by CA Head of Security Sean Carroll "in front of shocked staff, as part of a major reshuffle to the management team." Though "not referred to specifically," Howard and Amarfio are believed to have been heavily criticized by stakeholders in The Ethics Centre's redacted 145-page inquiry. The announcements follow the recent resignations of CA Chair David Peever and long-serving board member Mark Taylor. By the end of next week, "the head of team performance, coach, captain and vice-captain in office during the fiasco in South Africa will all be gone." Roberts said, "It's a time for reflection and learning, it's a time for us to deepen our relationships. It's important we show leadership and show we're not about words but about actions" (SMH, 11/7). In Sydney, Peter Lalor reported Howard had told previous CA CEO James Sutherland that he would "serve out his contract and be gone after next year's Ashes" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/8).
'CHALLENGING DAY': The AAP's Rob Forsaith reported the exit of Amarfio was reportedly "messy." Carroll, a former Victorian police detective who oversees CA's anti-corruption program and "ensures players are safe while on tour around the world," was "summoned to help evict Amarfio." Roberts said, "I'd ask that we respect those people that have had a really challenging day ... I don't intend to go into intimate detail." Amarfio "has long rubbed many CA staff the wrong way, with the most notable example being a request that his secretary cook and serve him a hot breakfast in his glass-encased office" (AAP, 11/7).
THE SEARCH IS ON: Lalor also reported CA "will begin immediately searching for a replacement" for Howard. The organization said that person "must, unlike Howard, have a cricket background." Things will change now that Howard is gone, but it is "not clear who will take charge of the spreadsheets, matrixes and Powerpoint presentations that justified pathway programs, player rotations and strange statistical justifications." Former Australian captain Belinda Clark stepped into the exec GM team role "but wants to return to her job as EGM community," so she is not moving into Howard's chair permanently. Roberts called for people to recognize Howard's achievements. He said, "Pat had a much deeper experience than he was given credit for and had a lot of cricket experts around him, but I will be seeking the counsel of other cricket experts in determining our future direction" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/8).
