Alan Isaac has been appointed the new chairman of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), replacing Sir John Anderson, who stepped down earlier this month. Isaac has been acting chairman since Anderson's retirement.

Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, hailed Isaac as having a deep knowledge of cricket in New Zealand. "Sir John has left big shoes to fill, but we are sure that Alan will be an excellent new chairman," he said. "Cricket is witnessing explosive growth, with new competitions backed by burgeoning media interest. It really is an exciting time for the sport."

Isaac has been on the NZC board for 18 years and has extensive experience in corporate governance, corporate management and commercial accounting. "I was very happy being on the board under Sir John but I guess there was an opportunity when he said he was stepping down to assume the role," he told the Dominion Post.

"It's about keeping an eye on the risks and challenges for NZC with regard to the development of the game and Twenty20, and the impact they might have," he said. "If you look at what's happening with other sports, privately owned teams are commonplace, so it's something we need to be aware of, and the commercial value associated with them is significant."

He retired as the Chair of KPMG in March 2006 after 35 years with the company. He is also a member of the New Zealand Golf Board and of the Board of Rugby New Zealand 2011 Limited which is in charge of handling the rugby World Cup in 2011 in New Zealand.