ICC Americas, the administrative regional arm of the International Cricket Council (ICC) – the governing body for the sport of cricket worldwide, is changing.
Ben Kavenagh served as Americas Regional Development Manager for the past four years.
The ICC Americas Regional Office has been behind the strategic initiatives now being implemented in the USA, and recently moved its office from Toronto, Canada to Colorado Springs, CO, and some of the familiar faces have opted not to make the move to Colorado.
Among those opting out is Ben Kavenagh, the regional Development Manager. Kavenagh served as the Americas Regional Development Manager for the past four years, having replaced Martin Vieira, who served in the position for nine years, before retiring in 2012. More recently, Ben Kavenagh was part of the ICC’s strategic team tasked with resurrecting cricket governance and player performance in the USA, following the third suspension, in the past decade of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA).
In a farewell statement released by Kavenagh on Monday, September 19, the father of four, including one teenager, said “It has been a great privilege to work for ICC Americas for the past 4 years, and the last 18 months in particular working closely with the USA cricket community. There are many exciting activities happening in the US, and if my children were younger, and we did not think it detrimental to move them again, I would have loved to remain a part of it.
US Cricket is so lucky, to have so many people, so enthusiastically, pushing our great game in their local areas. I am in awe of the work so many of you do, often for minimal, if any financial benefit. I know you get your rewards in other ways, and I hope the game continues to provide you enjoyment for many years to come.”
A former opening youth bowler for his school in Ballarat, western Australian, Ben Kavenagh worked with several sport entities in Australia, before moving to Toronto in late 2014, to take up the ICC position. He worked at the Ballarat Football Team, Geelong Supercats, an Australian Rules football team and the Geelong Supercats basketball team. Kavenagh also served as CEO of the South Adelaide Football Club.
As the ICC Americas Regional Development Manager, Kavenagh oversaw the development of cricket in 17 countries in the region that stretches from Canada in the north to Panama in the south, and including ICC Associate Members USA, Canada, Bermuda, and Cayman Islands. It is unclear if the native Australian will return to his homeland after completing his stint in the Americas Region. He is expected to make the rounds in the USA introducing the ICC Americas new USA Project Manager Eric Parthen.
Kavenagh assured the USA cricket community that one of his immediate tasks as his tenure concludes is, “to introduce him (Parthen) to many of you, so he can see first-hand the many positive happenings in each area of the country.”