Cricketing great Sir Richard Hadlee has raised concerns about the governance and transparency of New Zealand Cricket and where the sport is headed.
Hadlee released a statement on Friday that outlined issues he felt had eroded trust in the national body, particularly over the last 12 months, and offered two solutions.
“My concerns are about governance, transparency, accountability and the future direction of cricket in New Zealand,” Hadlee wrote.
“Those concerns have developed over an extended period and are based on a series of events and decisions that, when viewed collectively, do not paint a positive picture of the current state of the organisation.
“I remain disappointed by the lack of transparency surrounding significant decisions that have been made by the Board.”
Of the utmost concern to Hadlee was secrecy around the report prepared by Deloitte regarding the future of domestic T20 cricket.
Hadlee, who played 86 test matches for New Zealand and 115 one day internationals, had contributed to the consultation process and was told the report would be shared with participants. That has yet to happen.
Major Associations (MA) and District Associations (DA) have not sighted the report either, which “disappointed” Hadlee.
Sir Richard Hadlee hits out at NZ Cricket
“My view is simple. The longer the report remains unavailable to key stakeholders, the greater the speculation regarding its findings, recommendations and the decision-making process that followed.
“Transparency builds trust. A lack of transparency creates uncertainty, misinformation, speculation and mistrust. That was my view when I served on the Board and it remains my view today.”
The decisions around the next step for T20 cricket in New Zealand had lead to Scott Weenink stepping down as chief executive of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and former Black Cap Dion Nash quitting the NZC board.
“Over the past 12 months there have been a number of developments that have raised concerns for me and many others across the cricket community.
“These include changes in Board composition, the departure of key senior executives and staff, concerns regarding staff morale, concerns expressed by commercial partners and sponsors, and the treatment of key people within the organisation. Individually, some of these matters may be explained. Collectively, however, they warrant serious reflection by the Board and leadership of the organisation.”
The Hadlee family has had almost 90 years of involvement with New Zealand cricket, including as players, selectors, administrators and supporters of the game.
“My comments arise from a deep love of cricket and a desire to see the game thrive. New Zealand cricket has achieved extraordinary things over many years and has been served by many outstanding people. I want to see the sport continue to prosper, strengthen its relationships throughout the cricket community, and regain the confidence of its stakeholders.”
Former Black Cap Geoff Allott is now CEO of New Zealand Cricket.
Andrew Cornaga
Hadlee had discussed his concerns face to face with NZC chief executive officer Geoff Allott this week.
“I have been asked what I would like to see happen as a result of my letter.
“There are two outcomes that I believe would help restore confidence in the governance of the organisation.
“First, the release of the Deloitte report and the supporting management recommendations to key stakeholders, including MAs, DAs and Life Members.
“Secondly, I believe the current Board should step aside and reapply through a genuinely independent appointment process, not one run by the MAs. Such a process would allow members of the cricket community to have confidence that the Board has been renewed and appointed through a transparent and independent mechanism.”
Hadlee believed some might question whether his concerns were justified.
“My answer is unequivocally yes.
“Importantly, I am not alone in holding these concerns. A number of highly respected people within the New Zealand cricket network have expressed similar views.”
Former NZC president Lesley Murdoch, former New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney, former NZC CEO Justin Vaughan, as well as “other Life Members and many individuals throughout the wider cricket community” were among those Hadlee singled out.
Former New Zealand cricket captain Jeremy Coney.
Photosport
“Their concerns may not be identical to mine, but they reflect a growing unease about the direction and governance of the organisation.
“Good governance depends on accountability, transparency and trust. In my view, those principles need to be restored and strengthened if NZC is to move forward successfully.”
In response, Allott wrote to MA’s on Friday and said Hadlee putting “his name to his concerns” and raising them directly with NZC was something “we respect and take seriously”.
Allott’s letter said his meeting with Hadlee “was an open and honest conversation”.
“It’s been a challenging year for NZC and I acknowledged that. There has been much change, the cricket landscape is evolving rapidly, and NZC is being challenged to adapt.”
Allott took Hadlee through the process with NZC’s chosen T20 competition – NZ20 – “and its incredible potential to transform cricket in this country from grassroots to the elite”.
“I also explained the confidential nature of the Deloitte process, listened to his concerns, and I’ve agreed to increase our communication and engagement moving forward.
“We don’t agree on everything, and that’s ok. They’re genuine differences of opinion from people who care deeply about the game.”
Allott was “optimistic about the direction we are heading” and credited the support he had received from the associations for that.
“I’ve made it a real priority to get out into the network and listen. I’ve met every Major Association Chair and CEO, many DA and club leaders, I’ve attended the NZC Community Cricket Hui, the High Performance forum and the Umpires and Match Referees forum.
“What I’m hearing is that our network is keen to move on from this challenging period and work together collaboratively to push the game forward.”
Allott said the response “has been heartening”.
“We’re lucky we have so many people who care deeply about cricket in this country, and while we’re not always going to agree on everything, I believe the network is aligned on moving forward together in the same direction.”