NZ Cricket: Public affairs manager and PR specialist Richard Boock terminates contract with a parting shot at board

Normally, Boock, a PR and crisis management specialist, handles media inquiries and responses on behalf of NZ Cricket.

Today, he finds himself in the unaccustomed position of being the story after his email to staff was leaked to the Herald.

Boock told staff in that email that “stepping away” had been “one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make”. It was a “sad” decision and “a wrench to have to leave”, he wrote.

“I have enormous respect and admiration for you all; the dedication, the expertise, and the genuine care you bring to your roles every single day. It’s been a privilege to work alongside you.”

But he also went on to outline his view of the board.

“As you’re aware, I’ve deliberately avoided describing the reason for my departure as being ‘not aligned’ with the board, because I think this sounds like a disagreement over policy or strategy.

“My concern is simpler and more fundamental: I’ve lost confidence in the board’s integrity.

“At the end of the day, trust is everything.”

Boock referred all comment on Friday afternoon back to NZ Cricket. NZ Cricket chairwoman Diana Puketapu-Lyndon and NZ Cricket interim chief executive Graham Parks have been approached for comment.

In an email to district associations on Friday afternoon, Parks said Boock had made a significant contribution to cricket in New Zealand.

“His knowledge of the game, his skill as a communicator, and the relationships he has built across the cricket community have been highly valued throughout his time with the organisation,” said Parks’ email, which was also leaked to the Herald.

“On behalf of NZC, I would like to thank Richard for his professionalism, commitment and contribution, and wish him every success for the future.”

NZ Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink departed the organisation earlier this year.

He was effectively chased from the role after a falling out with NZC’s six major associations (Northern Districts, Auckland, Central Districts, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago) and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, specifically over their push and support for the breakout, private franchise T20 competition.

A subsequent, savage internal NZ Cricket staff survey, leaked to the NZ Herald, took aim at the board.

A summary accompanying the staff survey 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 were dozens of individual comments in the survey, many of them disparaging of the board. Some staff were said to be “in tears”, “visibly upset” and “deeply unsettled”.

“There have been no actions from the board to give me confidence in the organisation’s direction in the short to medium term. I am fully supportive of the SLT [senior leadership team] but am very disappointed in a weak board,” said one staff member.

The Herald put these concerns and claims to Puketapu-Lyndon in March. She said at the time: “We’re not comfortable discussing documents that were never intended for public discourse, and will therefore decline to elaborate on your questions regarding staff surveys or private correspondence.”

The Herald subsequently revealed that the board had hired a forensic investigator to try to find out who had leaked the material, as well as other documents.

According to sources, some staff believed the move was a “witch hunt” – it is understood the investigation has not found any evidence that pinpoints a leaker or leakers.

NZ20 saga

The saga over the future summer T20 competition caused tumult within NZC, and even among board members.

In late March, the board announced the NZ20 competition, featuring privately owned teams, would replace the Super Smash competition.

NZC board member and former Black Caps cricketer Dion Nash resigned from the NZC board hours after that decision was announced.

NZ20 was originally due to start in the 2026/27 summer, but it has been pushed back a year.

As well as Weenink, Nash and now Boock leaving NZ Cricket, chief strategy and financial officer Ben Kay also recently left the organisation.

Boock’s CV and PR expertise

Boock, a former chief cricket writer for the NZ Herald and journalist and columnist for Fairfax/Stuff, has been with NZ Cricket since 2013.

He told staff in his email today that he had loved his experience “with NZ Cricket and the people within it”.

He wrote that he had arrived “in the middle of the Ross Taylor–Brendon McCullum maelstrom in 2013 and have provided support services continuously since then”.

“There’s never been a dull day, and I never would’ve made it this long without the support of so many of you.

“Over 13 years, I’ve worked for two CEOs and four chairs and have enjoyed a front-row seat as NZC transformed from a somewhat disjointed organisation into one that became the envy of world cricket.

“The success of the Black Caps and White Ferns, and the community and high-performance systems that have underpinned them, should be a source of real pride for everyone involved.”

Do you know more? Please email Shayne Currie – shayne.currie@nzherald.co.nz

He said he was leaving with huge affection for the “people of NZC” and with deep gratitude for their support and what they had achieved.

“I have every confidence in the NZC staff, management, players and service providers.

“My sincere hope is that the successes keep coming, for the teams, for the staff, and above all for the game of cricket in New Zealand.”

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