- Former CEO Nick Hockley is stepping down
- Greenberg will be announced as his replacement
- Will attack a track with a focus on Test cricket
Todd Greenberg will lead an overhaul of Test cricket, with the former NRL boss formally named CEO of Cricket Australia this week.
The experienced sports administrator will replace Nick Hockley, who will leave his position after the 2024/25 home cricket season.
Greenberg was CEO of the NRL from 2016 to 2020. Prior to this role, he was CEO of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs from 2008 to 2013.
Greenberg also held the position of head of football at the NRL from 2013 until his appointment as CEO. He oversaw significant changes to the NRL, including reforms to player welfare and governance.
After leaving the NRL, he moved into the role of CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association in 2021.
Australia struggled in the first Test of the five-match series against India last week and capitulated when defeated by 256 runs.
Former NRL boss Todd Greenberg will be announced as the new CEO of Cricket Australia
Former CEO Nick Hockley will oversee operations until the end of the current cricket summer
The second Test starts in Adelaide on Friday and there are still plenty of question marks after almost a year without a match and accusations of being underprepared against India.
The Aussies have struggled to replace the retired David Warner at the top of the order, with most of the key batsmen and bowlers aged over 30, raising fears of a loss of talent.
There are few exceptional talents knocking on the door in the Sheffield Shield, apart from teenage prodigy Sam Konstas, and Cricket Australia still has a lot of work to do to stem the drain of talent to the shorter forms of the game.
Greenberg previously told News Corp he felt Test cricket needed more attention, in a sign of things to come under his tenure as Cricket Australia boss.
“My message is: ‘we are under pressure,’” he said at the time. “And pressure can be a good thing because it will increase all our chances and make us the best we can be, but other countries are really struggling.
‘And we can’t play against ourselves. So I’d like to think that in ten years Test cricket will be more than just Australia, England and India. We want to ensure that Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and others can continue to play against us.
‘I fear that in ten years’ time, countries like South Africa and New Zealand may no longer be able to afford to see their best players playing and disappearing due to the pressure and pull of global competitions.
“So that’s a concern. And I don’t think I’m an alarmist. I think I’m a realist.’
The Aussies struggled in the first Test against India after a long spell without red ball cricket
Nick Hockley had previously announced his decision to step down as CEO at the end of the 2024-25 summer of cricket.
He cited the completion of CA’s five-year strategic plan and the upcoming “blockbuster summer” as factors influencing his decision, stating that it was the “right time to take on a new challenge.”
“This was a difficult decision,” Hockley said as he resigned.
“But after what promises to be a blockbuster summer and with our five-year strategic plan well underway, now is the right time to take on a new challenge, while giving the Board sufficient time to plan the next CEO who can build on today’s strong foundations. in place.
‘This is not the time to say goodbye, because I remain fully focused on the coming season and support the board in the succession and a smooth transition.’