Melbourne, May 31 Cricket Australia on Monday appointed Nick Hockley as its new chief executive officer almost a year after he was recruited on an interim basis, during which he oversaw the conduct of the high-profile tour by India amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides the India tour of Australia, he was also in charge of successfully delivering the domestic competitions in a complex situation brought about by the global health crisis, which badly affected CA’s original cricket calendar.

CA said Hockley has served with distinction as its interim CEO since his appointment last June after the departure of Kevin Roberts.

Wiser after his experience as the cricket body’s acting CEO, Hockley is hoping to build on the momentum.

“I am under no illusion about the importance of cricket to the lives of so many Australians, nor the magnitude and responsibility of this role,” Hockley said in a release issued by CA.

“Leading Cricket Australia is the greatest privilege of my working life and I am committed to doing all I can to making a positive contribution to the game and the community.” Raised in Birmingham, Hockley held senior positions in the organising committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia in 2015 and 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games.

“Over the past 12 months, I have learnt first-hand about the breadth, scale and importance of the role. My approach has been and will continue to be to bring people across the game together, as I believe this is fundamental to achieving our full potential.

“I look forward to building on this momentum and playing my role in deepening those relationships further, as well as playing a leading role in growing the game internationally alongside fellow ICC members.” Hockey was born in the UK and represented England in rugby at student level before relocating to Australia between 2002 and 2005 to pursue a career in corporate finance.

“The change and complexity brought about by Covid-19 has created lots of challenges, but also plenty of opportunities,” Hockley said.

“By working together with our partners across the game, I feel confident and optimistic about cricket’s ability to rise to the challenges of the modern world and thrive.” CA chairman Earl Eddings congratulated Hockley on his unanimous appointment.

“From delivering the historic T20 Women’s World Cup to ensuring a safe and successful 2020-21 season, Nick has already proven himself to be in the very top echelon of sports administrators both in Australia and around the world.” That Hockley was dealing with a host of complex issues was not lost on Eddings.

“…through his leadership, resolve, worth ethic and vision for the game, Australian Cricket emerged stronger than ever. For that, Nick deserves enormous credit,” he said. New source PTI