In one of those vintage sports profiles, where players would habitually profess their affection for The Shawshank Redemption and mum's lamb roast, then-New South Wales batsman Kevin Roberts revealed his ambition was to someday captain the Blues.

It's hardly surprising that aspiration eluded him during his 23-game first-class career spanning 1994-98, given he arrived in a star-studded NSW era that saw on-field leadership oscillate between Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Greg Matthews, Phil Emery and, on occasions, Brad McNamara.

But more than 20 years on, Roberts has landed a far more influential role after today being named Cricket Australia's new Chief Executive Officer, replacing James Sutherland who held the office for almost two decades. Roberts, 46, began his term as CEO-elect by paying tribute to his predecessor noting that over the past two decades "nobody has contributed more to Australian cricket".

Chairman David Peever also noted that Sutherland, who was in the room during today’s public announcement, was already cutting a more relaxed figure given events of the recent past and the challenges that remain ahead.

As the man previously charged with overseeing CA's strategy and culture, Roberts then outlined some of the key areas of focus that he believes will help right a ship that has, of late, struck severe turbulence.

Foremost among those is the development of a stronger coaching structure that provides life education and mentorship as well as cricket tuition to players at all levels. Roberts, whose five daughters all play cricket with their dad involved as coach, also cited deeper relationships with CA's employees, its commercial and other partners, its global fan base and with state and territory associations as a priority of his leadership.

Along with repairing fractures that opened with the players' union, the Australian Cricketers' Association, during last year's Memorandum of Understanding negotiations in which Roberts was a principal player. "It’s a great privilege and a tremendous responsibility to lead and to serve the Australian cricket community as CEO of Cricket Australia," Roberts told today's media conference in Melbourne. "I have a very clear vision of how we can go about achieving our aspirations as an organisation, and as a sport. "This is a responsibility that I respect deeply, including the important role that Australia plays as a leader at international cricket alongside other member nations of the International Cricket Council. "We won't be perfect, but I can promise you that we will be genuine in our quest to build respect and to build trust right across the Australian cricket community. "Everything we do will be about uniting and inspiring communities through cricket, that's whether we’re talking about the local club as the heart and soul of its community, or whether we’re talking about the community of fans attending the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020. "Or whether we’re talking about our international social media community who are so passionate about the game, and numbers over 15 million people around the world. "When we unite and inspire communities through cricket, the

Roberts already boasts some notable numbers on that scoreboard. He completed an economics degree at Sydney's Macquarie University while pursuing his cricket dream and, at age 30, was appointed Australian managing director of the global sports apparel brand, adidas.

He then became senior vice-president of the company’s worldwide sports performance division based in Germany, which brought in around $9 billion in annual revenue, before being appointed chief executive of Melbourne-based sportswear company 2XU in 2013. He also joined CA's Board as one of three independent directors under wholesale governance changes to the body, previously administered wholly by representatives of Australia's states.

Then, in 2015, Roberts left the Board to become the organisation's Executive General Manager One Team, Strategy and People before being installed as CA's inaugural Chief Operating Officer earlier this year. When Sutherland announced in June he would be stepping down from the position he took over from Malcolm Speed in 2001, Roberts was seen as a possible replacement in light of his strong cricket and business background as well as his familiarity with CA’s operations. "I’ve spoken before about the complexity of this role, and the increasing challenges facing our sport," Peever said today in announcing CA's decision after a global recruitment process. "The Board concluded that an internal candidate with first-hand experience driving strategic transformation, both inside and outside of cricket at Cricket Australia, would be best placed to continue the momentum and success for Australian cricket.


"Kevin's vast corporate leadership experience within Australia and overseas, his leadership of the development and implementation of our strategy, his demonstrated ability to lead change and his deep pedigree in cricket, both on and off the field, outline whey Kevin was identified as the best candidate from a very strong field." Sutherland had indicated he timed his resignation to ensure major strategic initiatives including the ICC's Future Tours Program, CA's new broadcast rights deal and the MoU with players were all completed for their respective current cycles.

However, one of the first issues Roberts will face upon taking the chair at Jolimont Street will be the release of a widespread review into the culture of the Australia men's team and the broader CA environment that was initiated in the wake of this year's ball-tampering controversy in South Africa. While Roberts never achieved senior selection at international level as a player, he would have gleaned insights to some of the matters likely to be canvassed in the culture review, which is due to be completed in coming weeks. He was a member of the Australia Youth Team (under-19) that toured England in 1991, that also included future Test players Damien Martyn, Greg Blewett, Michael Kasprowicz and Adam Gilchrist.

Roberts and Gilchrist were also dual premiership teammates with Gordon in Sydney’s grade cricket competition and shared a house before the latter moved to Perth in search of opportunities denied him by the strong NSW line-up. They have remained close friends since those formative days. During the three unofficial 'Tests' of that 1991 series, the Australia team came under criticism from England's players and press for their on-field demeanour and tactics, including unproved allegations that Kasprowicz (now a CA Board member) had tampered with the ball by picking at its seam.

The furore that resulted, and the players' reaction that ensued, are similar to circumstances that spawned the culture review, being led by ex-Test opener Rick McCosker and that has sought input from voices within and beyond the game throughout Australia. "I didn’t think anything personal or offensive was said, but it’s true that we played in the hard Aussie style," Gilchrist recalled of that Youth Team tour in his subsequent autobiography True Colours. "The problem, most likely, was that the English weren’t expecting it from nineteen-year-olds.

"We were no doubt quite arrogant in their eyes, and they came across to us as timid." The perception of Australia men’s teams as abrasive and antagonistic has endured, reaching its nadir last March when Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were suspended for their parts in the sandpaper scandal that shook cricket here to its core. While Kevin Roberts might have missed his chance to lead New South Wales through the gate and on to the field in his playing days, the challenge before him now is more complex and far-reaching as he pilots the national game through choppy and uncharted straits.