“He is also a renowned driver of commercial growth and innovation, such as bringing the State of Origin to Melbourne and introducing the NRLW.

“We are entering a period of great opportunity and the recruitment panel and CA Board was enormously impressed by Todd’s passion for cricket and his vision to build on the achievements of the past few years and continue the game’s growth.”

Last week’s Perth Test match took place against a backdrop of final interviews and deliberations, although Greenberg had long been considered the frontrunner.

He was conspicuous in his absence from Perth for the game, and also did not appear for his usual radio interview on the SEN network on the third morning of the game. CA chief executive Hockley did fulfil his customary spot before day two. Baird spoke to ABC radio on day one.

Hockley has committed to staying on until the end of the season in March. This masthead revealed his decision to leave the job in August.

Among Cricket Australia stipulations for Hockley’s successor include that the new CEO be based in Melbourne, to be closely connected to the governing body’s head office in Jolimont.

One of Greenberg’s other strong suits is his capability as an articulate front person for cricket in Australia, a skill that will be more vital as the game gets increasingly complicated to follow amid the proliferation of overseas Twenty20 leagues.

That capacity was demonstrated as early as May 2021, when he cut a composed figure alongside Hockley as the pair discussed the evacuation of Australia’s cohort of Indian Premier League players from India to the Maldives during a COVID-19 outbreak.

Hockley, who took on the job in difficult circumstances after the departure of predecessor Kevin Roberts at the height of the pandemic in 2020, has remained based in Sydney throughout his tenure, with frequent visits to Melbourne.

Greenberg, who played grade cricket in Sydney and worked for Cricket NSW before moving into rugby league, was Canterbury Bulldogs chief executive before he took on the NRL’s top job, replacing David Smith and presiding over the league for four years.

His tenure ended in early 2020, when Nine, owner of this masthead, criticised the NRL’s management and effectively locked Greenberg out of future broadcast rights talks.

NRL chairman Peter V’landys stepped in, becoming perhaps the highest profile sports administrator in Australia, while Greenberg moved to his current role with the cricketers’ union, where he has overseen a period of industrial relations peace in cricket.

In his NRL roles, Greenberg worked closely with Baird when he was NSW premier, and the pair have enjoyed a friendly relationship– epitomised by how the most recent players’ pay deal was negotiated without public mudslinging.

Recently, Greenberg called for an independent review into how the women’s game was run in Australia following revelations about the former Victoria coach Dulip Samaraweera.

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While other sports such as the AFL have previously appointed a players’ association chief to the top job – such as Gillon McLachlan’s predecessor Andrew Demetriou – cricket has tended to a more conservative position.

Greenberg has made a point of looking at the overall picture in his role and has been a conspicuous presence on overseas tours such as the drought-breaking trip to Pakistan in 2022 and Test tours of India and England last year.

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