Kevin Roberts, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, has taken responsibility for the “failings in the organisation’s culture” and promised to bring about change.
CA was labelled “arrogant” yesterday in an independent review by the Ethics Centre into the ball-tampering scandal. The review also contained allegations of bullying and verbal abuse within CA.
One state association employee accused a senior manager at CA of not only sweeping under the carpet an instance of bullying, but also promoting the alleged perpetrator.
Roberts defended his own appointment to the top job within the organisation, and said that he would oversee a more “open, humble and respect[ful]” CA in responding to the failings of recent years.
“I take responsibility along with all the executive team for the culture of the organisation and we’re accountable – me in particular as the new chief executive – for driving the improvements,” Roberts said.
He also resisted calls for people involved to be fired, saying the situation was more complex than that and required “a broader perspective”.
Roberts himself has come under criticism for being the chief negotiator in during last year’s bitter pay dispute with the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
