Cricket Australia chairman David Peever falls on his sword following scathing review into team culture

David Peever has resigned as chairman of Cricket Australia in the wake of the seven-month long review into the culture of Australian cricket by the Ethics Centre.

The report by the independent specialists rocked the governing body on Monday when it was accused of placating an ‘arrogant’ and ‘controlling’ mentality in elite level cricket.

The 42 recommendations made by the Ethics Centre could not have come at a worse time for Peever who had been unanimously re-elected to a second term as chairman just four days before the release of the report.

Prompted into commissioning the review by the ball-tampering scandal which overshadowed Australia’s tour to South Africa earlier this year, Peever had welcomed the report’s recommendations as an “opportunity to make the game much better” and had already approved half of the changes suggested.

And after news emerged that state associations had not been shown the report prior to Peever’s re-election, the chairman has ended his new three-year term within its first week.

Deputy chairman Earl Eddings, who will succeed the role in the interim, said in a statement: “We look forward to continuing the important process of recovering and rebuilding for Cricket Australia and Australian cricket.

“The board is keenly aware that we have a way to go to earn back the trust of the cricket community. We and the executive team are determined to make cricket stronger.”

Peever’s resignation continues the undying impact of what has been dubbed the ‘Sandpapergate Test’, where captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft were all banned for conspiring to use a strip of sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during an acrimonious series against South Africa in March.

The bans handed to the trio were followed by the resignation of head coach Darren Lehmann, long-standing CA chief executive James Sutherland, and high performance manager Pat Howard.