Cricket Australia ready for female CEO for long time: Ellyse Perry

Cricket Australia (CA) have appointed Nick Hockley as interim CEO to replace Kevin Roberts, who resigned this week after months of criticism over his leadership, amid the financial crisis the body is facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the search for a permanent CEO for Cricket Australia is on the cards.
The 29-year-old feels, Christina Matthews, who runs the Western Australia Cricket Association, could be a good option for the permanent role.

"I think Cricket Australia has been ready for a female CEO for a long time. I know Chris (Matthews) was in discussions for the last round of hiring for the role. I don't think it's something that's new," Perry told reporters in a video call on Friday, Cricbuzz reported.

Perry said there are several women, at high posts, who play a crucial role in the functioning of the board.

''We’ve got a number of women working in high executive roles in Cricket Australia, Belinda Clark and Steph Beltrame to name a couple. They are absolutely pivotal in the way that we operate.

''So, yeah, I think there’s some really strong representation within cricket and leadership in the organisation already,'' Perry said.

Most of the sporting events, including cricket, have taken a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crisis has also led to a variety of cost cutting options, including lay offs in the men's set-up that saw the termination of 40 more staffers by CA last week ,which included batting coach Graeme Hick.

Perry though confirmed that the Australian women's set-up has retained all its staff and feels they've been fortunate enough to be able to do so in the given circumstances.

"We've been incredibly fortunate in that sense. I know from a player and staffing perspective, we feel very grateful given everything that's been going on," said the all-rounder. 

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