Stuart Heal appointed full-time NZC chairman

Stuart Heal, the interim chairman of New Zealand Cricket, has been appointed full-time chairman of the board for the coming year. According to a NZC release, Heal is keen on distributing some of the chairman's duties among the various board members.

Heal, a businessman from Otago, had previously headed Otago Cricket and has been a NZC board member since 2008. He was re-elected to the New Zealand board at a special general meeting in September under a new constitution, and handed interim control of the board until the board meeting today, when the full-time chairman was scheduled to be appointed. He has been unanimously voted in by the board at the meeting in Auckland.

With the 2015 World Cup fast approaching, Heal said it was an exciting era in which to lead NZC. "Hosting one of the world's biggest sporting events is a huge opportunity for both NZC and the sport in this country," he said. "We need to ensure we do everything possible to reap the benefits of having the world's best players on our shores."

In keeping with Heal's shared-responsibilities vision, board member and former NZC chief executive Martin Snedden will attend ICC meetings, and board member Don Mackinnon will head the newly established high performance advisory group, which includes other board members and former cricketers Richard Hadlee, Geoff Allott and Snedden.