Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley quits cricket’s top job
By Daniel Brettig
Nick Hockley has resigned as chief executive of Cricket Australia and will leave the job at the end of this summer after five tumultuous years in charge.
Hockley advised CA’s board of his intended departure after chair Mike Baird and fellow directors had decided that they did not see him as a long-term CEO, but wanted to give him the chance to exit on his own terms.
Nick Hockley with Ricky Ponting last year.Credit: Getty
Fellow executive James Allsopp was recently promoted to the role of chief of cricket, a greatly expanded role that styled him as the most likely internal successor to Hockley.
CA’s former head of broadcast and commercial, Stephanie Beltrame, stepped down earlier this year and has plenty of runs on the board, as does the former national women’s captain Belinda Clark. Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Todd Greenberg has had a long association with Baird and is another likely contender.
CA’s staff were informed of Hockley’s impending departure at 11.30am on Tuesday.
As part of his rolling contract to run CA, Hockley and the board had a six-month exit notice clause on which either party could press the button. He will walk out of Jolimont in March 2025.
“This was a difficult decision,” Hockley said. “However, following what promises to be a blockbuster summer and with our five-year strategic plan well progressed, this is the right time to pursue another challenge, while giving the board plenty of time to find its next CEO to build on the strong foundations now in place.
“This is not the time for goodbyes, as I remain completely focused on the season ahead and supporting the board on succession and a smooth transition.”
While numerous leadership figures in Australian cricket tired of Hockley’s struggles in terms of public speaking in particular, they respected how he guided the game through some of its grimmest times since 2020.
Appointed as interim CEO in June 2020 after the departure Kevin Roberts, Hockley earned the trust of cricket’s hierarchy after navigating the COVID-19 summer of 2020-21 and took the role full-time.
His tenure included the ructions around Tim Paine’s resignation as Test captain and Justin Langer’s messy exit as head coach of the men’s team, plus numerous battles with the state associations over money and the shape of competitions such as the women’s Twenty20 league. He was also in the spotlight during David Warner’s failed bid to be made eligible for captaincy roles towards the end of his playing career.
Hockley was Cricket Australia’s CEO for when Justin Langer (left) and Tim Paine separately left their leadership positions.Credit: Getty Images
Hockley was also pitted against Seven West Media during an ugly dispute over the rights deal signed in 2018, with the broadcaster chasing a discounted fee despite not losing any major cricket content to COVID-19. That dispute petered out after an independent arbiter concluded that CA’s contractual position was sound.
A few months later, Hockley oversaw the signing of a long-term $1.5 billion broadcast rights deal with Foxtel and, somewhat surprisingly, Seven that locked the two broadcasters in for the next seven years. CA also secured an Indian rights deal worth about $360 million with Disney Star in that time.
In marked contrast to a hotly disputed pay negotiation in 2017, Hockley and his ACA counterpart Greenberg nutted out a peaceful pay deal with the players last year, having extended the previous deal by a year to move past COVID-19 and allow for the broadcast deal terms to be known to all.
An outspoken advocate for diversity in Australian cricket, Hockley developed a genuine bond with Usman Khawaja, and was also close to the national women’s team after serving as chief executive of the 2020 T20 World Cup, where more than 86,000 spectators packed the MCG for the final.
On the field, Hockley was able to enjoy numerous notable successes from the hospitality boxes. These included Australia’s first tour to Pakistan in 24 years, retention of the women’s and men’s Ashes, multiple World Cups for both men and women, a women’s Commonwealth Games gold in his home town of Birmingham in 2022 and a men’s Under-19s World Cup earlier this year.
“As CEO, Nick navigated the sport through a period of unprecedented challenge during the pandemic and has delivered significant growth and stability,” Baird said. “Under Nick’s leadership, several major deals are now in place – many for the next seven years – and the game is set up for continued success.
“As Nick says, his full focus is on delivering another successful summer for our fans, players, broadcasters, partners and the whole of Australian Cricket and there will be time to celebrate his legacy and achievements when he steps down from the role next year.
“The timing of Nick’s decision allows the board to ensure a smooth transition and we will begin the process of finding and appointing his successor shortly.”
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