Between 2008 and 2011, Jack Clarke, who was the chairman of Cricket Australia, was instrumental in the Big Bash League’s (BBL) introduction.
On Wednesday, April 10 in Adelaide, Australia, former Cricket Australia (CA) chair Jack Clarke passed away. The cricket community has been in grief for the irreversible loss of the Clarke family ever after CA revealed the news of his passing on their official “X” handle.
An important person in Australian cricket was Clarke. The distinguished executive was a member of the CA board from 1999 to 2011. He served as the CA chair from 2008 to 2011. He was a major contributor to the Big Bash League’s (BBL) founding while serving as the chair of CA. The wildly popular competition started in December 2011 and has continued to grow throughout the years.
After the national team’s home Ashes series defeat in 2010–11, Clarke also ordered the Argus study into the team’s performance, which resulted in a reorganization of CA’s high-performance division. Prior to entering the administrative field, he had played grade cricket for Glenelg in Adelaide.
“With his major roles with Cricket Australia and the SACA, Jack was an outstanding contributor to Australian, South Australian, and international cricket. He was also highly liked by everyone who knew him in the game.”
“During a period of significant challenges for Australian cricket, Jack’s leadership in crucial areas such as governance and high performance was especially crucial.” Anyone who appreciated spending a day at the cricket with Jack could see his passion for the game immediately. Jack’s wife Sue, his children Georgie and Lucy, his extended family, many friends, and everyone who was fortunate enough to have known him are all deserving of my sincere sympathies, on behalf of Cricket Australia,” he continued.
In 2012, Clarke received the honor of becoming an Honorary Life Member of the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA), after serving as its director for 21 years.
SACA chair Will Rayner stated: “One of the real game characters was Jack. We will really miss him, as his humor and joy for life were contagious.”
