Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird announced he was standing down on Monday amid a backlash over the partial privatisation of the Big Bash Twenty20 competition.
Domestic body Cricket NSW withdrew support for Baird after Cricket Australia forged ahead with the sale of the struggling Melbourne Renegades franchise.
“After much consideration I have decided to stand down as CA Chair and Director,” Baird said in a statement.
“I believe Australian cricket continues to be well lead by the CA Board.”
Baird will leave the role after Cricket Australia’s annual meeting in late October.
Cricket Australia has named former Test opener David Boon as Baird’s interim replacement.
Renowned for his bushy moustache, Boon is something of a cult figure in Australian cricketing circles.
Boon’s teammates once claimed he downed 52 cans of beer on a flight between Australia and England in the late 1980s.
Following his playing career, Boon has held positions as a national team selector and state cricket administrator.
“It is an enormous honour to take the role of Interim CA Chair during what is a hugely exciting and also challenging time for cricket,” Boon said.
Cricket Australia has courted private investment in the domestic Twenty20 competition as it looks to shore up the game’s financial future.
But privatisation has been a thorny issue.
An initial proposal to sell stakes in each of the BBL’s eight teams stalled earlier this year amid concerns about a loss of control for the game’s local custodians.
While the Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania cricket associations voiced support and South Australia said it was open to the idea, New South Wales and Queensland rejected the move.
