Lesley Murdoch Demands Release of Secret NZ Cricket Report

Former New Zealand Cricket president Lesley Murdoch has joined Sir Richard Hadlee in demanding transparency from NZC, writing to the board last Monday to request a full unredacted copy of a secret Deloitte Report investigating T20 league options, nzherald.co.nz reported.

Lesley Murdoch Demands Unredacted Deloitte Report

Murdoch, a former White Ferns captain and coach, NZC life member, and Olympic hockey representative, was interviewed for the Deloitte investigation in September 2025. The review examined pathways for T20 cricket, including private ownership, a revamped Super Smash, and entering a New Zealand team into Australia’s Big Bash League. In an email dated September 28 to the NZC board—comprising chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon, deputy chair Kevin Malloy, Mike Devonshire, Alison Shanks, Bill Birnie, Roger Twose, and Anna Campbell—Murdoch stated she was told during her interview that a copy of the report would be made provided to her.

I, like others, am deeply concerned about the lack of transparency around the publication of the report and the reluctance to publicly release the recommendations contained in the report, Murdoch wrote in the correspondence obtained by nzherald.co.nz.

The disclosure follows the publication on Friday of a letter from Sir Richard Hadlee stating he was embarrassed to have his name attached to NZ Cricket. Murdoch expressed frustration regarding the withheld findings, stating she worries about grassroots cricket and who controls the game. When approached by nzherald.co.nz on Saturday, Murdoch declined further comment beyond expressing her protectiveness over the sport, while NZC chief executive Geoff Allott and Puketapu-Lyndon refused a full interview.

Life Members Cite Growing Dysfunction and Leadership Risks

Last December, Murdoch, Hadlee, and former New Zealand players Stephen Boock and Martin Snedden—all NZC life members—sent a joint letter to the board, major associations, the players association, and the NZ20 establishment committee. The signatories registered their dismay at what they described as a growing dysfunction within New Zealand’s cricket family that threatens the sport’s reputation.

We urge all of those involved to stop ‘playing the man’ and instead focus solely on ‘playing the ball’, the four life members wrote in the December letter, urging professional assessment of the T20 proposal.

In an earlier email written last October while still serving as president, Murdoch cautioned against blurring governance and management lines. NZ Cricket responded with a generic statement noting that Allott had attempted to call Murdoch earlier in the week regarding her private letter. A spokesman confirmed on Saturday that neither Allott nor Puketapu-Lyndon planned to step down, and reiterated that the Deloitte Report remains confidential.