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Australia’s cricketers union is concerned that stubborn states could block the recommended overhaul of the domestic administration of the sport.
Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Wally Edwards said he was still confident an independent commission will be put in place, but admitted there were many complex issues raised by state associations which will take time to work through.
It is believed SA and NSW are holding out on endorsing a more independent model.
Edwards admitted CA had been too ambitious in announcing last December it would produce a draft of proposed changes at its board meeting on Monday.
The meeting to discuss the states’ responses to the recommendations in the Crawford/Carter report into cricket’s governance failed to reach any conclusion but Edwards said the mood was positive.
He said all states were willing to reform, but it will take time.
“The reality is there are significant constitutional issues that need to be grappled with,” he said.
“These issues will take time. There’s no rush from the board point of view.
“There is still a good desire around the board table and there is a lot of goodwill.”
But Australian Cricketers Association president Greg Dyer said he was worried a fear of change from some states might cripple the much-needed overhaul.
“We’re a little concerned that one or two of the states are making negative noises around it,” he said.
Fosters chairman David Crawford and Geelong AFL club president Colin Carter recommended the CA’s 14-member board be scrapped in favour of a nine-person independent board.
The proposed board would include one member from each of the six states, with three others appointed on their skills, regardless of their origin.
Currently, NSW, Victoria and South Australia each have three places on the board, Western Australia and Queensland have two votes each and Tasmania one.
Any change needs a 75 per cent majority vote.
“I’m very concerned,” Dyer said.
“Because it needs an 11-out-of-14 vote, that means we just need one state in addition to one of the three-vote states to vote against it for it not to get up.”
Dyer understood the states wanted the best for their associations and he was prepared to wait for the right model.
“I would prefer to take a slightly longer period of time and get the right answer than take a short period of time and get the wrong one,” he said.
Edwards said he believed the bigger states were prepared to give up their votes to make way for a more independent model.
“Overall, yes. There’s always issues, it gets down to the fine print,” he said.
The CA board will next meet in April when Edwards hoped “we might be able to start getting close to what might be resolutions.”
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