Former Test No 3 David Boon steps in as interim Cricket Australia chair, inheriting years of losses, cost cuts and the BBL privatisation push.
David Boon has gone back out to bat, this time in the boardroom, and the conditions are tough. The former Australia Test No 3 has been named interim chair of Cricket Australia, and he arrives just as the governing body warns of years of financial losses and a period of "cost minimisation".
Boon replaces Mike Baird, who was ousted after New South Wales officials grew unhappy with how he was pursuing private investment in the Big Bash League. That makes Boon's first job one of the most contentious on the desk: steering the BBL privatisation process while a divided establishment watches closely.
The BBL is only the opening task. The wider game is dealing with the threat of match-fixers, the growing influence of Indian interests, and an Australian summer that no longer belongs solely to Australia. Boon has to protect the home season's identity while the sport's money and power keep moving.
Boon built his reputation as a gritty, moustachioed batter who stood up to the best attacks of his era. He will need that resolve again, because the next few months will test how well Australian cricket can adapt to a changing global game.
