Will Hockley resign as the CEO of Cricket Australia?

He came into the position amid the Covid-19 epidemic having worked on the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup

After five years in the position, Nick Hockley has announced he did step down as Cricket Australia's chief executive in March 2025.

Hockley, who has spent 13 years playing various positions in the American game, first took the position in an interval power shortly after Kevin Roberts resigned as CEO of CA due to unrest following the company's primary problems, which included a widespread staff stand-off.

In May 2021, he was appointed full-time after helping the activity negotiate border closures, including hosting the Test set against India, making it economically possible for the game to succeed.

Although it was a tough choice, Hockley said that now that our five-year strategic plan has been well developed and that it is the right time to take on additional challenges, giving the Board ample time to find its future CEO to develop on the solid foundations that are already in place.

I'm not saying goodbye, as I'm still fully focused on the upcoming year and supporting the table in a smooth transition.

Hockley's last year in charge of CA may suddenly see India explore, this time for a five-Test series, as well as the opening of the Women's Ashes in January.

Alongside the pandemic, the major challenges on Hockley's watch included an associated stand-off with broadcaster Channel Seven who pushed for a discount. Relationships were later repaired to an extent that Seven has remained a long-term broadcast partner, although the new seven-year deal signed with them and Foxtel in 2023 did not produce a significant uplift in value.

He was able to oversee a much smoother MoU agreement, which included significant pay increases for women's soccer, than it was in 2017.

Hockley had to contend with the controversial departure of Tim Paine as Test captain on the eve of the 2021-22 Ashes, although the transition to Pat Cummins eventually proved smooth and successful, and an ugly split with head coach Justin Langer.

Hockley also made an effort to overturn David Warner's lifetime leadership ban, but that was unsuccessful in late 2022 when Warner furiously withdrew his case due to pressure from an independent panel to relive what transpired at Newlands in 2018.

He has been in charge during a period of significant on-field success which has included the men's and women's teams winning T20 and ODI World Cups plus the men claiming last year's World Test Championship and the women gold in the Commonwealth Games. Significantly, in 2022 the men's team also toured Pakistan for the first time since 1998.

The implementation of CA's Multicultural Action Plan, which improves participation and attendance among South Asian communities, is one of the major projects he has led in recent years.

" As CEO, Nick navigated the sport through a period of unprecedented challenge during the pandemic and has delivered significant growth and stability", CA chair Mike Baird said. " Under Nick's leadership, several major deals are now in place- many for the next seven years- and the game is set up for continued success.

" As Nick says, his full focus is on delivering another successful summer for our fans, players, broadcasters, partners and the whole of Australian Cricket and there will be time to celebrate his legacy and achievements when he steps down from the role next year."

Prior to his hasty elevation into the top CA role, Hockley had been chief executive of the 2020 T20 Women's World Cup committee that had staged the record-breaking tournament in Australia. Before that, he had worked on the 2015 Men's World Cup, having also previously been involved in the London Olympics.

CA will search globally for Hockley's successor although Todd Greenberg, the current CEO of the Australia Cricketers ' Association, will likely be a frontrunner if he is interested in the job.