Cricket ACT will seek advice from Cricket Australia for the best way to replace outgoing chief executive Mark Vergano, who will quit his post in June after 13 years in charge.
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Vergano insists timing and not the friction caused by Canberra's impending alliance with Country Cricket NSW was the driving force behind his decision to resign at the end of the biggest summer of cricket in the capital's history.
The Cricket ACT board will meet on Friday to officially sign off on a memorandum of understanding with Cricket NSW to launch a partnership for development and a potential one-day domestic team.
Cricket ACT chairman Ian McNamee will also fly to Adelaide to meet Cricket Australia officials this week and the search for Vergano's replacement will be based one the new "One Team" strategy.
Vergano has overseen a massive change in Canberra cricket, including the redevelopment of Manuka Oval, luring the Australian team to the capital, the Big Bash Twenty20 final next month and World Cup fixtures.
"Part of the 'One Team' policy with Cricket Australia, we will seek assistance from CA in replacing Mark to get guidance," McNamee said.
"It would be nice if there was someone in the current family [to take over]. We thank Mark for giving us as much notice as possible. He's leaving on a high note and there have been a lot of achievements.
"Someone needs to run the show here [when Vergano leaves]. This area is growing ... we were informed the population base is 1.6 million people.
"The board is conscious of the fact of not losing its identity. We're part of the cricket family but we're independent as well. The future looks good."
Vergano has been the face of change at Cricket ACT as it brokered a deal with Cricket NSW.
There have been concerns about the focus on high performance at the detriment of grassroots development with just three Canberra first-grade players in the ACT Comets side last week.
Some feel Vergano has unfairly copped the brunt of criticism for the new alliance with Cricket NSW but he said he was keen to seek new challenges after more than a decade in the game.
Vergano took over Cricket ACT operations after the Comets were kicked out of the domestic one-day competition. He now leaves with Canberra on the verge of re-entering the same competition with a joint ACT-Country NSW team.
"It's about giving opportunity. Sometimes change takes a little while to filter through," Vergano said.
"I can only see upside. In context of chief executive lifespans, 13 years is a pretty fair innings. It's probably time to look for some new challenges and refresh.
"There's no better time to do that than around the biggest summer in Canberra cricket, it's good for myself and the organisation."
Vergano hopes to remain in cricket, with potential of a new role in Cricket Australia's "One Team" structure.
The search for his replacement will begin immediately with Vergano staying in place until the end of his contract in June.
Cricket has experienced a boom under his watch, with participation increasing by 400 per cent in his 13-year-tenure and the Australian team playing its first match at Manuka Oval last year.
Canberra hosted Australia and South Africa last month under lights at Manuka Oval.
The Big Bash final will be played on January 28 at Manuka with three World Cup games to follow in February and March.
McNamee believes the partnership with Cricket NSW is the way forward for the sport in Canberra.
"The memorandum of understanding reflects the views of clubs in Canberra that have been discussed at recent meetings," McNamee said.
Cricket Australia high performance manager Pat Howard met Canberra officials last month.
"It's very much One Team – competitive on the field and co-operative off it," Vergano said.
"Hopefully I can stay in the Australian cricket family in different ways but I'm open to new challenges.
"Growth in participation has been more than 400 per cent; we've been innovators with pilot programs for Cricket Australia and we established the [ACT] Meteors in the women's competition.
"Hopefully the MOU with Cricket NSW can secure our future. I'm very pleased to have been involved in so many projects. It's definitely a partnership between Cricket ACT, Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW. Identity will be maintained."
