Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday appointed Simon Longstaff as its first "Independent Ethics Commissioner". Longstaff was previously associated with the CA in 2018 when the infamous ball-tampering scandal rocked world cricket.
Longstaff's scathing review of the incident also led to the resignation of the board's then chairman, David Peever, that year, shortly after the incident. "As Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, Dr Longstaff led the independent organisational review into Australian cricket in 2018. "CA has actioned the majority of recommendations of this report and Dr Longstaff's pivotal role in the review makes him an ideal candidate to take up this position," Cricket Australia said in a release.
Longstaff will work collaboratively with the board, state and territory associations and the Australian Cricketers' Association. "The creation of the role of CA Ethics Commissioner, and Dr Longstaff's appointment, are significant steps for Australian cricket," Dr Lachlan Henderson, CA Chair, said. "Not only have we embraced the key recommendations of The Ethics Centre Review, this initiative will help to ensure the best process to review ethical issues in cricket that might arise in the future. “Having led the 2018 review, Dr Longstaff has a detailed understanding of the challenges the game has faced and the progress that has been made in recent times.