Kevin Roberts named new CEO of Cricket Australia

Published Oct. 2, 2018 10:05 p.m. ET

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Kevin Roberts has been named the new chief executive officer of Cricket Australia, replacing James Sutherland, who quit in June after an embarrassing ball-tampering scandal involving the country's test team.

Cricket Australia said Wednesday that Roberts, the group's chief operating officer and a former domestic first-class cricketer, will take over for Sutherland after the annual general meeting on Oct. 25.

Sutherland was appointed in 2001 to replace Malcolm Speed.

In March, captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft were caught up in a plot to tamper with the match ball during the third test against South Africa in Cape Town.

Smith and Warner were subsequently banned by Cricket Australia from international and domestic first-class cricket for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine months. Darren Lehmann quit as national coach less than a week later, after being cleared of any involvement in the ball-tampering incident.

Sutherland also presided over a contentious period in the past year while Cricket Australia negotiated a new pay deal with the players' union, and Roberts was credited with helping achieve the new pay contract.

The sport's national governing body also announced in April a new six-year television deal in which domestic coverage move from Australia's longtime cricket telecaster, the Nine Network, to Seven and Fox Sports.

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