NZ Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills resigns, on eve of major NZ Cricket T20 decision

Weenink eventually stepped down from his own role in December - essentially, he was ousted because of the breakdown in relationships with those parties, and members of his own board.

The Herald revealed today major anger and upset within NZ Cricket over the way Weenink was treated.

Now Mills is leaving his own position.

“It’s with very mixed emotions that I let you know that I’ve decided to step down from my role as CEO of the NZCPA,” Mills told followers and supporters today.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision. The NZCPA has been a huge part of my life for more than 25 years, and the experiences, opportunities, challenges, people and relationships I’ve encountered along the way have shaped me profoundly. In many ways, the association feels like a part of who I am as a person.”

He said he would continue in his role as executive chairman of the World Cricketers’ Association.

“I will also be joining a new advisory business, Strata Collective, which will undertake some work in sport. I’m very excited about this next phase.”

Mills has been contacted for further comment.

Mills said in his announcement that he had been “incredibly fortunate that the game’s best players have trusted me to serve you in this role”.

“My life is unquestionably richer for that experience. I’m deeply grateful to all of you who have allowed me to do my best to represent and support you, and I hope I’ve been able to contribute in a way that justifies the trust you placed in me.”

He said the time felt right to move on, and for the association to begin its next chapter.

“When I step back and look at the NZCPA today, it’s remarkable how far the association has come since those early days in 2001, when I had no idea what a players’ association really was.

“A generation of players have built an organisation with support programmes and services that will care for players long into the future. It has been humbling to see the way you have looked after one another, treated the game with respect, and set ambitions for your organisation. I’ve simply been fortunate to play a small role in helping you achieve them.

“Your greatest strength has always been your unity — standing together for one another and for the players who will follow. As the game continues to evolve, never lose sight of those collective values and that sense of togetherness. As our byline says, Players Better Together — and I believe that will always be true."

His last day would be June 3.

NZ Cricket board faces staff ire

Meanwhile, the Herald revealed today that the NZ Cricket board has been eviscerated in an internal staff survey following the ousting of its chief executive, with many staff saying they hold little confidence in the organisation’s direction after the way the board handled his departure.

Among dozens of critical comments from staff are descriptions and allegations of a “weak board”, concerns about interactions between some board members and the cricket players’ association, and fears that the circumstances of CEO Scott Weenink’s departure had left a “stain” on everyone working at NZ Cricket.

The Herald has also obtained a letter to the board signed by NZC senior leaders in November, backing Weenink, a month before he was effectively ousted.

The leaked documents come as the NZC board starts discussing one of the biggest and most critical decisions in years – the future shape of New Zealand’s domestic summer competition, and whether to approve a new, private-franchise T20 league.

The board has now received a highly anticipated review from independent consultants Deloitte, which has analysed four options for the future of the game’s top summer league, including the private T20 league called NZ20; a New Zealand team entering the Australian Big Bash League; a revamped version of the existing Super Smash; or the status quo.

NZC has about 100 staff, three-quarters of whom – 76 people – completed the survey.

According to the survey results, 82% of respondents viewed Weenink’s resignation negatively, 16% as neither positive nor negative, and 3% as positive (percentages were rounded up).

A summary accompanying those results said: “A significant portion of staff believe Scott was not supported by the board and was effectively forced out due to external pressure from parts of the network (major associations, cricket players association, NZ20 stakeholders). Many comments explicitly state he ‘did not want to resign’ and was ‘left with no alternative’.”

There was a strong sense that the process was “unfair, poorly managed, misaligned, or lacked transparency, leading to disappointment, anger and erosion of trust”.

To a question, “I feel confident about the organisation’s direction moving forward”, 55% were unfavourable, 31% neutral, and 14% favourable.

Negative sentiment included a “deep loss of trust in the board, including perceptions of weak governance, poor decision-making, and heavy susceptibility to external influence”.

There was a belief that the board was “prioritising” the major associations’ and cricket player association’s agendas “over NZC’s strategic interests and may continue to do so”.

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