James Sutherland (cricket administrator)

{{Short description|Australian cricketer and executive (born 1965)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2011}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = James Sutherland

| image =

| country = Australia

| fullname = James Alexander Sutherland

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|7|14|df=yes}}

| birth_place = East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| family = {{ubl|Will Sutherland (son)|Annabel Sutherland (daughter)}}

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium

| role = Bowler

| club1 = Victoria

| year1 = {{nowrap|1990/91–1993/94}}

| columns = 2

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 4

| runs1 = 54

| bat avg1 = 13.50

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 18*

| deliveries1 = 748

| wickets1 = 9

| bowl avg1 = 39.77

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 2/23

| catches/stumpings1 = 2/–

| column2 = List A

| matches2 = 9

| runs2 = 28

| bat avg2 = 9.33

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 13

| deliveries2 = 510

| wickets2 = 12

| bowl avg2 = 26.75

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 3/26

| catches/stumpings2 = 4/–

| date = 17 April

| year = 2023

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11351/11351.html CricketArchive

}}

James Alexander Sutherland (born 14 July 1965) is an Australian former first-class cricketer and cricket administrator. He played for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and was the chief executive officer of Cricket Australia, from 2001 to 2018. He was born in East Melbourne in 1965.

A right arm fast-medium bowler, Sutherland made his first-class debut against Queensland at the St Kilda Cricket Ground, where one of his opponents, Scott Muller, was also debuting. He claimed Carl Rackemann as his maiden wicket and in the second innings dismissed Stuart Law for the first of his two-second innings victims.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/54/54054.html| title=Victoria v Queensland 1990/91| publisher=CricketArchive}} The following week the Victorians defeated New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield Final but the paceman had lost his place in the side to Paul Jackson and instead was relegated to 12th man.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/54/54070.html| title=Victoria v New South Wales 1990/91| publisher=CricketArchive}}

In his three other first-class appearances he chipped in with the occasional wicket but was unable to take a big haul. He did however take some big wickets, including Justin Langer twice and against Tasmania he dismissed Ricky Ponting hit wicket.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/ask_the_player_oracle.cgi?playernumber=11351| title=Player Oracle: James Sutherland| publisher=CricketArchive}} As Cricket Australia chief executive, Sutherland would later work alongside the Australian captain, as he did with Steve Waugh whom he also took the wicket of during his career, on his List A debut.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/56/56573.html| title=New South Wales v Victoria 1992/93| publisher=CricketArchive}} He was part of Victoria's 1992/93 Mercantile Mutual Cup campaign and played in the Final which they lost to New South Wales.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/AUS/1992-93_AUS_Mercantile_Mutual_Cup_1992-93.html |title=Mercantile Mutual Cup 1992/93 |publisher=CricketArchive |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908113538/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/AUS/1992-93_AUS_Mercantile_Mutual_Cup_1992-93.html |archivedate= 8 September 2008 }}

Sutherland is a chartered accountant who formerly worked for Ernst & Young.{{cite web|title=James Sutherland|url=http://www.compps.com.au/member-ceo/james-sutherland.html|publisher=The Coalition of Major Professional & Participation Sports}}{{cite web|title=James Sutherland: Cricket Australia CEO |url=http://www.backpagelead.com.au/twenty20/1295-twenty20-james-sutherland-cricket-australia-ceo |publisher=Back Page Lead |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610202213/http://www.backpagelead.com.au/twenty20/1295-twenty20-james-sutherland-cricket-australia-ceo |archivedate=10 June 2012 }} Following the conclusion of Sutherland's cricket career, he became a finance manager at the Carlton Football Club and was appointed as an assistant coach of Victoria in 1998/99, having become a Level III coach. Sutherland also had a stint as coach of the Melbourne University Cricket Club, where he is a life member, having played District cricket there for many years.

Sutherland joined the Australian Cricket Board, now known as Cricket Australia, as general manager in 1998. Three years later (in 2001) he replaced Malcolm Speed to become the chief executive.{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/7718.html| title=Profile: James Sutherland| work=ESPNcricinfo}}

On 6 June 2018, Sutherland announced his retirement, giving Cricket Australia 12 months notice to find a suitable replacement.{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/james-sutherland-steps-down-as-cricket-australia-chief-executive/9840016|title = Cricket Australia set for new chief as James Sutherland steps down|newspaper = ABC News|date = 6 June 2018|last1 = Photo|first1 = File}}

In 2019, Sutherland became chairman of PlayHQ, a community sport competition platform.{{cite web|last=Masters|first=Roy|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/questions-surround-company-offering-a-digital-one-stop-shop-for-grassroots-sports-20210129-p56xyp.html|title=Questions surround company offering a digital 'one-stop shop' for grassroots sports|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=30 January 2021|access-date=27 June 2024}}

In August 2020, Sutherland was appointed CEO of Golf Australia.{{cite web|url=https://www.golf.org.au/james-sutherland-appointed-ceo-of-golf-australia/|title=James Sutherland appointed CEO of Golf Australia|work=Golf Australia|date=24 August 2020|access-date=27 June 2024}}