Cricket Australia (CA) chair Mike Baird has resigned and will not stand for re-election at the governing body's next annual general meeting (AGM) next month.
Baird is stepping down after losing support from his own state cricket association (New South Wales), after three and a half years in charge of CA, having been appointed in late 2022.
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He will be replaced on an interim basis by former Australian men's national team icon David Boon (a CA board member since last year), while the process to find Baird's permanent replacement takes place.
It has been reported by the Cricinfo publication that Baird essentially retained the backing of all the other Australian state cricket bodies (there are six in total), but that he did not want to carry on without unanimous support.
It has also been reported that the CA chair was looking to step away from that role at some point in 2027 anyway.
Baird has now said: "After much consideration, I have decided to stand down as CA chair and director. I am delighted that David Boon has agreed to undertake the interim chair role while we complete the formal chair process, and I will undertake a transition process with David over the coming weeks."
He is stepping down as the process to sell the Melbourne Renegades, of Australian Twenty20 cricket's Big Bash League (BBL), gets underway.
This process, through which the Renegades will become the first BBL team to be sold off to private equity, could be completed by the end of the year.
However, New South Wales have long opposed the move, and as such have made their opposition to Baird continuing to lead CA clear.
Baird added: "This year CA will report record revenue, profit, attendance and viewership, and most importantly a 40% increase in participation over the past four years. With recent decisions on the Big Bash, I also believe the long-term sustainability is assured."
Baird, an investment banker by trade, is a former politician for Australia's Liberal Party, and was the State Premier for New South Wales between 2014 and early 2017. In taking the role as CA chair, he replaced Lachlan Henderson.
Boon – who played 107 test matches for Australia between 1984 and 1996, and has been a CA board member since 2025 – commented, meanwhile: "I look forward to leading the CA board as we continue to make decisions that ensure the long-term health and prosperity of the game here and advancing Australia's interests globally.
"I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mike for his commitment and leadership as a passionate advocate for Australian cricket from grassroots clubs right through to the Cricket Australia and ICC boardrooms and all in between."
Todd Greenberg has been chief executive at Cricket Australia since early 2025.
