Melbourne, Feb 17 (IANS): Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday appointed Dr. Lachlan Henderson as the new chairman of the board. Henderson is CA's third chairman in just five months, replacing interim chairman Richard Freudenstein, who took over from Earl Eddings after he resigned in October last year.
"As chair, my aim is to ensure the integrity and growth of the game in Australia with strong governance embedded at Cricket Australia and reflected in all levels of cricket, from elite teams to community clubs. Among my other main priorities will be a focus on a strong, sustainable financial future for the game and building on the growth in our participation rates, particularly among girls and women, and our multi-cultural communities," said Dr. Henderson in a statement.
"I would like to thank Richard, the other CA directors and the state chairs and boards for their support. It is a privilege and honour to be elected chair and serve our national sport. I'm really excited by the opportunities ahead. The CA board is relatively new, with seven of the nine members having been on the board for less than three and a half years, and the imminent appointment of a new independent director will bring further fresh ideas and perspectives to the board," added Dr. Henderson.
"My love of cricket began as a kid growing up in Perth and the game has always been a big part of my life, as a player, through my involvement with WA Cricket, the board of Cricket Australia and now as the elected chair. I'm looking forward to working closely with our states and territory cricket chairs and associations, the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA), our players and our partners, on how we unite and work together to ensure cricket continues to thrive into the future as Australia's favourite sport."
Dr. Henderson, who is Epworth Healthcare's chief executive, had been on the CA board since late 2018 and had previously served as chairman of Western Australia Cricket (WACA) for two years. He had also been involved with WACA as a cricketer, having played in state junior teams for WA and first grade in Perth in his early life. His predecessor Freudenstein will continue to be a director on the CA board.
"Dr. Henderson, who will commence immediately, signalled his first priorities would be ensuring a strong, sustainable financial future for cricket, increased participation, particularly among girls and women, improved consultation with state and territory chairs and all stakeholders, and continuing to drive high standards of behaviour across the game," said a CA release.