The International Cricket Council this week announced that Matthew Kennedy has been appointed to the position of East Asia-Pacific Development Manager.

The 28-year-old will assume the role situated in the Australian Cricket Board offices in Melbourne, on Tuesday 24 October. Matthew replaces Andrew Eade who was promoted to the position of ICC Development Manager and took up his post in London at the start of August.

Although still just taking in the news of his appointment, Matthew kindly agreed to my request to let the readers and those involved in cricket in the East Asia-Pacific region know a little about himself:

"After just over two years, the overall ICC Global Development Program is at an exciting stage and the East Asia-Pacific Region is no exception with some great work being done in partnership with local administrators.

My initial impression is that I have some 'big shoes to fill' but I am wholeheartedly looking forward to the challenge and, most importantly, to working together with all involved for the current and future benefit of the great sport of cricket in these countries.

I am thrilled to accept the position as ICC East Asia-Pacific Development Manager and truly look forward to taking on what is obviously an exciting and challenging task.

The East Asia-Pacific Region is very diverse and, when I begin the role in just on three weeks time, my early focus will be to make contact with the key people in the Region and to get to know and understand their exact situations.

Beyond this, I will be looking to build upon the significant and on-going activities and projects which, in conjunction with the countries, Andrew has established over the initial stages of the Development Program. It is certainly imperative that any ICC support mechanisms or initiatives reflect the identified needs of the individual nations.

I will be leaving my role as Manager of the VCA Community Cricket Department, where I have been employed in cricket administration and development for over seven years at the Victorian Cricket Association (VCA), also based in Melbourne. Here I was able to put in practice a Business Degree in Sport Management.

This comprises the equivalent of eight full-time staff and is responsible for the promotion, organisation and administrative/structural development of community (club) cricket in Victoria, the largest cricket State in Australia.

It includes 16 Regions, 95 local Associations of varying sizes and strengths, nearly 1,300 Clubs and over 107,000 players plus a substantial number of honorary administrators.

I have enjoyed being involved in policy setting as well as the establishment, planning and implementation of all VCA community cricket programs to service the above and further develop the sport.

I was previously employed by the City of Melbourne in relation to advance planning for the 1995 Melbourne-Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race.

Having played local cricket in metropolitan Victoria for 16 seasons prior to concentrating on my profession, this role provides the opportunity to play a greater role off the field throughout East Asia-Pacific region."

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