Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland has been reappointed beyond the 2015 World Cup.
The former Victoria paceman took over in the top post in 2001 at the age of 35 as the youngest chief executive to be appointed by CA.
His latest three-year deal had been due to expire in June 2015.
"I'm very grateful to the board for the confidence and faith it has showed in me to continue as CEO beyond next year," Sutherland, 49, said on Thursday.
"It is a huge honour to lead the game and I'm as passionate as I have ever been to deliver on our strategy of making cricket Australia's favourite sport."
CA chairman Wally Edwards says the upcoming season, which will include a four-Test series against India and tri-series of one-dayers against India and England ahead of the World Cup which starts on February 14, is the "biggest summer of international cricket held in this country".
"The board agreed to move James Sutherland from a fixed-term contract that was due to finish after the ICC Cricket World Cup, to an ongoing employment arrangement," Edwards said in a note to staff.
"The change recognises the outstanding job James is doing leading Australian cricket.
"Throughout James' tenure annual participation has grown from 436,000 Australians playing the game to more than 1.1 million while revenue has leaped from $56.5m to a forecast of more than $300m.
"At an international level, James continues to play a key role as a highly respected leader on the ICC's Chief Executives' Committee."
Edwards backed Sutherland in October 2013, saying even if Australia lost the 2013/14 Ashes series 5-0 the chief would still be allowed to serve out his contract until June 2015.
Michael Clarke's men thrashed Alastair Cook's England side 5-0, although Sutherland has since had to negotiate through a political storm at ICC level.
The emergence in 2014 of the so-called Big Three -- India, England and Australia -- to take on key leadership roles in world cricket has been described by leading cricket writer Gideon Haigh as more of a Big One "with two lesser parties obediently in step".
Share
