Former star all-rounder of the Australian cricket team has been appointed as President of Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) on Monday night. In the general body meeting of the ACA, Watson was elected as the new President. He will head the extended ten-member board which includes three new appointments: Current Australian players Pat Cummins and Kristen Beams and former women’s player Lisa Sthalekar.
Apart from that, Aaron Finch, Alyssa Healy, Niel Maxwell, Janet Torney, Greg Dyer and Moises Henriques are other members of the Board. This was a really positive step for Australian cricket, as Watson has been a loyal servant for them for quite some time now.
He has been part of their World Cup-winning squad and surely deserved this new title. Watson has done it all and now looks forward to something new.
Watson tweeted after appointment,” I am truly honoured to be elected as the President of the ACA as it evolves into the future. I have big shoes to fill with the people who have gone before me and I am super excited about this opportunity to continue to give back to the game that has given me so much”.
Watson further added, “Through a period of immense change, the players have been and will continue to be a strong voice in protecting what is made our game of cricket great while embracing opportunities that change inevitably brings”.
Shane Watson praised recent parental policy of Cricket Australia for women cricketers, “This policy amid a host of other changes, assures Australian women that cricket is a sport which can now support you and your family. And for girls coming through who love the sport, like my daughter, it says that cricket is a sport where you will be able to have a career.
The expanded board is part of a revised governance structure for the ACA. The Revised structure spits president and chair. Greg Dyer will continue to hold the position of the chair. ACA will now manage Australian Cricketer’s Retirement Account too.
Watson further spoke about Greg Dyer and also said, “I am excited to work even closer alongside Greg, as he is someone I have always enjoyed time spent with. He is an incredibly successful man in his won right and everything he has been able to bring to the ACA over his time as President has been immense.”
Shane Watson has played a total of 59 tests, 190 ODIS and 58 T20Is for Australia between 2002-2016. Watson retired from International Cricket back in 2016. He was the last player to retire from Australia’s Golden Era of the early 2000s, which had been quite dominant over the years.
He still takes part in T20 cricket leagues across the globe, as he will look to enjoy himself in the Twilight of his career. He had played for Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 edition of the IPL. Watson was one of the foremost all-rounders in the world of his time. With new responsibility on his shoulders, this is a new start for Watson post-retirement and he will surely enjoy the challenge.
