Queensland Cricket chief resigns in third year of tenure
Max Walters, Queensland Cricket's chief executive, has become the third state supremo to resign in a little more than 12 months, joining the former Victoria chief Tony Dodemaide in quitting at a time of internal squabbles over club cricket in their state.
The New South Wales chief executive Andrew Jones also vacated the field earlier this year, though Walters' exit appears to share more in common with that of Dodemaide and the former Cricket Victoria chairman Russell Thomas in 2018.
Having joined Queensland in 2016, after the CA Board director Michael Kasprowicz temporarily stepped in as caretaker CEO in place of Geoff Cockerill, Walters and his chairman Sal Vasta have run into difficulty over the task of dividing up money raised by the state association off the back of strategic funding handed over by CA's Board in the recent past.
It is an issue being debated at several levels of Australian cricket, also including the fund delivered by the Australian Cricketers' Association following the hot-tempered 2017 pay dispute over the current MoU between the players and CA.
There, as in Queensland, the debate centres on how the money will be distributed, whether on a strategic case-by-case basis - much as the money was handed from CA to Queensland - or via uniform grants applied to every club. With Vasta also believed to be under pressure, Walters informed QC staff of his decision to quit in an email on Sunday night.
"The past three years working at Queensland Cricket have been extremely rewarding and enjoyable. I originally committed to a three-year contract at QC, and with that period nearing its conclusion, now is the right time for me to move on," Walters said.
"I hope people will agree that Queensland Cricket has made positive steps forward during my tenure. There is now a solid launching pad for success into the future, both on and off the field. I wish every good fortune to Queensland Cricket, and would like to thank the army of tireless volunteers in all the Clubs, big and small, across our great State that keep cricket moving."
Dodemaide and Thomas both departed Cricket Victoria in 2018 following a series of disagreements over the shape of Premier Cricket and the governance of clubs in the state - Dodemaide facing criticism from his own club, Footscray, amid the arguments.
Walters, meanwhile, has overseen considerable work on Queensland's sustainability, both in terms of infrastructure funding and sponsorship levels. It was during Walters' tenure that the Gabba's traditional standing as the venue for the opening Test of summer came under strain, missing out in both 2016 and 2018. Next summer it will host Pakistan and was recently confirmed as hosting the opening Ashes Test in 2021. However India's 2020 visit remains shrouded in uncertainty after the BCCI preferred to commence last summer's home series in Adelaide.
"Max Walters returned to Queensland Cricket in 2016 with the objective to make QC the State's leading sporting organisation and to ensure that our strategy revolved around delivering outstanding life experiences for Queensland communities anywhere, anytime," Queensland's chairman Vasta said. "He has delivered in spades.
"Corporate entities such as CUA and Betta, all three levels of government and the Queensland community at large all recognise the professionalism and expertise of QC that has been achieved under Max's stewardship.
"Our strategic plan is the envy of other sporting organisations and clearly allows fans, sponsors and the Queensland Cricket family at large to see and understand our priorities. Max has been front and centre over the past three years and leaves QC well positioned to make even greater strides in the future."