Pat Howard New Gm, Team Performance

hattrick

Member
Former Rugby Union International , Performance Director for ARU Pat Howard has been made GM: Team Performance by CA. It is part of the Argus recommendations and is "a key appointment". A new selection panel and head coach still needs to be appointment.

I must admit I have no problem with the appointment but wonder why someone from outside the code (cricket) has been given this powerful position? Surely, you want a leader inside cricket to have this position?

Pat-Howard_2663960.jpg


Former Australian rugby international and Australian Rugby Union High Performance Unit General Manager Patrick Howard is to join Cricket Australia in the new role of General Manager, Team Performance (GMTP).

Creation of the new role, to focus solely on team performance, was one of the key recommendations of the Australian Team Performance Review (ATPR) adopted by CA’s Board in August.
The Australian team head coach, captain, chairman of selectors, team manager and Centre of Excellence Manager will report to Howard, a Queenslander who will be based in Brisbane at the COE, starting mid-November.

State cricket managers in the six states will work closely with him as part of a move to integrate national player development to better ensure a co-ordinated focus on developing international players across Australian cricket.
The role is also responsible for women’s cricket.

Announcing the appointment today, CA Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said recruitment for the new role had focussed on the importance of having a high performance background in sport.
“We are delighted Pat is taking this role – he has a background of success as a player, selector and coach, including 20 Tests as an Australian player, as well as playing and coaching success with the Leicester Tigers in England and was a high performance GM with the ARU,” he said.

“He brings vital qualities in what is a pivotal new role with a singular focus on Australian team performance.
“His priority will be ensuring that all of Australia’s High Performance cricket programs dovetail in a manner that helps us produce the best men’s and women’s teams in the world”.

He said Howard’s background a pharmacist, his commercial experience including his current role as Chief Operating Officer of Cromwell Property Group, and his background as a board member of the Rugby Union Players Association, were factors rounding out his successful candidature.

Mr Sutherland said CA had strongly supported the ATPR recommendation that a new role be created to focus just on team performance without also managing Australian cricket’s numerous other operational requirements such as competition management, umpiring, programming, anti-corruption, security, team logistics, industrial relations, COE redevelopment, operations budget management and the like.
These will continue to be the responsibility of GM Operations Michael Brown.

Howard said he was attracted to the new role after the ATPR created what he regarded as an exciting new opportunity to co-ordinate a new focussed, integrated approach to Australian cricket high performance.
He said he felt fortunate to be able to take the unique opportunity created by the new role.
“The timing of the new role off the back of Argus review makes this an exciting time in Australian cricket,” he said.

“It is a great opportunity for anybody interested in sports leadership,” he said.
James Sutherland said CA would be moving immediately to finalise recruitment of a full-time national selector and other selectors after recent advertising that had solicited strong interest, and to recruit a head coach, a role which has been advertised this week following finalisation of the GMTP recruitment.

“The roll out of ATPR decisions is not just about the coming summer, important as that is.
"It is an important part of our new strategic objective over the next four years to produce the best teams, players and officials such as coaches, umpires, medical and sports science personnel in the world is a major part of our new strategic plan.
"Today’s announcement is an important early step in delivery of that plan”.
 
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