Baird to step down as Cricket Australia chair

Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird will step down and has decided not to seek reappointment, with former Australia batter David Boon set to lead the governing body on an interim basis while it conducts a formal search for a permanent chair. The transition follows disagreement with New South Wales over plans to allow private investment in Big Bash League clubs, though the precise timing and extent to which the dispute shaped Baird’s decision are not fully established in the accounts provided. Cricket Australia said Boon had agreed to take the interim role while the formal appointment process is completed. Reports differ on when his tenure begins: one places it on October 28, while others say the handover will occur at or after the governing body’s annual general meeting next month. Cricket Australia has said the permanent chair process will take place in the months after the AGM. Baird said he would stand down as chair and director after discussions with NSW over his tenure. Reports link the decision to the state’s opposition to the BBL privatisation plan and its withdrawal of support for him to continue as its nominee on the Cricket Australia board.