When Martin Snedden steps down, Diana Puketapu-Lyndon will take over as the first female chairman of New Zealand Cricket.

As she prepares to succeed the seasoned Martin Snedden as the first female chairperson of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Diana Puketapu-Lyndon is sure to make history.

Martin Snedden, a former NZC CEO, has held the position of director on the company’s board for three periods.

With one year remaining on his contract, he has resigned as director. Therefore, Snedden supports good governance by providing Puketapu-Lyndon with enough room in the leadership position to enable a seamless transfer into the position.

“I have decided to resign from both my position as the chair of the Board and my position as the representative of NZC on the ICC Board. ESPNcricinfo cited Snedden as stating, “Both of these decisions have been made with the intention of guaranteeing good, sound governance succession planning and capitalizing on what is an excellent opportunity for a leadership refresh.”

Diana Puketapu-Lyndon has Olympic experience, and Roger Twose will represent New Zealand at the ICC.

Diana Puketapu-Lyndon has a long history of being involved in the growth of sports. In addition to serving as chief financial officer for two America’s Cup sailing campaigns and one as a director of the World Masters Games, she currently chairs the New Zealand Olympic Committee. She was first hired by the NZC in 2017, and as of right now, she is the second-longest serving director.

Snedden also declared that he will be replaced as New Zealand’s representation on the ICC by board member and former international cricket player Roger Twose.

“AGM in 2024 will mark the end of my final term as a NZC director. This will give Diana and Roger time for a thoughtful handover and allow me to continue supporting them over the following 12 months, as needed. With Diana and Roger leading the charge, I’m sure this will continue,” 64-year-old Martin Snedden remarked.

It was revealed at the AGM that NZC had a $10.7 million surplus at the end of the year and was in a “buoyant financial position”. The New Zealand Cricket elected Maia Lewis, Amy Satterthwaite, and Ross Taylor as life members. The honorary members are Kirsty Bond, Katrina Kennan, Chris Harris, Mark Greatbatch, and Mike Hesson.

Speaking of the New Zealand cricket squad, they will be facing Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 in an attempt to secure the final semi-final spot. If the Kiwis lose the match on Thursday, November 9, in Bengaluru, it would be intriguing to watch if they can maintain their composure to advance to the knockout stage or if they will be placed in a precarious position in the points table.