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May had grown increasingly frustrated with the direction in which the sport was heading
Tim May has announced his resignation as chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) just a month after he controversially lost his place in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Cricket Committee to former Indian player and commentator Laxman Sivaramakrishnan.
May had been the chief executive of FICA since 2005, but over the past 18 months, he gradually saw the light and realised that he was “tiring of working in a sport that was increasingly at odds with the principles I respect”.
May’s resignation brings an end to his 16-year run in the sport, which started in 1997 after he became the inaugural president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
The 51-year-old had grown increasingly infuriated with the direction in which the sport was heading and was shocked to see none of the changes recommended by the Woolf Report being implemented.
“More and more we see allegations of corruption and malpractice on and off the field dominating headlines,” May said. “As stakeholders in the game we look to leadership from the ICC to address these and other issues – a vital ingredient of any organisation is the ability of its leaders to set the moral and principled example to others, and to police its organisation from top to bottom to ensure adherence to those principles.
“Yet cricket increasingly seems to be pushing aside the principles of transparency, accountability, independence, and upholding the best interests of the global game, in favour of a system that appears to operate through threats, intimidation and backroom deals. Despite FICA and many other stakeholders pushing for the recommendations of the Woolf Report to be implemented to address these shortcomings, the ICC board see no reason to change.”
The Woolf Report also suggested that the ICC executive board become more independent and feature officials from lower-ranked cricketing nations.
May noted that the Woolf Report and Lord Condon’s Report in 2001 on corruption in the sport should have had a positive impact on cricket.
“I hope that the ICC and more of its board’s members take heed of the recommendations of both Lord Condon and the Woolf Report and form closer and more productive relationships with players and their representatives – rather than the current trend to resist proper player representation; the players deserve better,” May said.
“Increasingly the administrators of the game seek to force out or alienate those who question its alleged misuse of power, or those who seek greater transparency, or provide rational argument against the ills of the administration. It appears that some administrators just don’t want to be held to account to the standards that are expected of them.
“There is a great opportunity for the ICC to arrest this trend and become one of the world’s best governed sports. For the future of the global interests of the game, I hope this happens sooner than later – because the current system is failing us.”
May told FICA of his resignation, which was effective immediately, at their annual meeting.
Australia captain Michael Clarke stated May’s departure was a “sad day” for all cricketers as he had worked tirelessly to help them.
“When I heard the news that Tim May was resigning from FICA, my immediate thoughts were that this was a sad day for the game and the world’s players,” Clarke said. “Throughout my time in cricket Tim has been a constant presence, taking on the tough issues on behalf of all players and doing so with amazing passion, strength and leadership. From a players’ perspective, his influence on the game should never be forgotten. It’s difficult to imagine where the players of today would be without Tim May’s contribution.”
Former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming also paid tribute to May and added that he would be forever grateful to the 51-year-old since he played a crucial role in helping create the New Zealand Players’ Association in 2001.
“I watched with interest as Tim established the Australian Players Association and he was then a great help to us as we got our own Association organised in 2001,” Fleming said. “Tim was a very good cricketer but without question his greatest impact on the game was to provide a voice for players where there had been none previously. This takes tremendous strength of character and real understanding of not only the playing of the sport, but also the business of the sport. The players of today and those of the future have a lot to thank him for.”
Current New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and South Africa ODI captain AB de Villiers also expressed their gratitude.