Merriman elected new ACB Chairman

Victoria's Bob Merriman is the new Chairman of the Australian Cricket Board (ACB). Merriman, 65, was elected as the replacement for retiring Chairman, Denis Rogers, at today's meeting of ACB Directors in Melbourne.

An ACB Director since 1991, Merriman inherits the position at the end of a six-year term for Rogers during which the dynamics of Australian and world cricket have altered significantly. He will therefore be expected to build upon a range of achievements, and to continue his predecessor's work in carefully blending cricket's traditions with the ever-greater commercialisation of the sport in Australia.

The subject of a series of press and radio interviews this week, Rogers has identified match-fixing as the most difficult issue with which he was forced to contend during his time in the position. But, by any measure, his has been an eventful period at the helm of the Board.

There were an array of vexing problems which he was required to address, among them ball tampering; the revelation of Mark Waugh and Shane Warne's association with an Indian bookmaker; throwing; an intense dispute over player payments; the on-field security of players; Australia's forfeit of a match in Sri Lanka during the 1996 World Cup; and the ructions following the dismissal of then ACB Chief Executive Officer Graham Halbish in 1997.

In addition to his ten-year stint as an ACB Director, Merriman has also been a member of the Victorian Cricket Association (VCA) Board since 1982 and was elected VCA President four years ago. In May of this year, he was chosen to fill the specially-created position of ACB Deputy Chairman.

He has also served as a team manager on a number of Australian tours, most notably on the 1979 visit to India and a succession of tours between 1984 and 1986.

Merriman's rise to the Chairman's role completes a double change at the top of Australian cricket. James Sutherland became the ACB's new Chief Executive Officer in June, replacing Malcolm Speed.