On April 29 this year, the nine members of NSW’s newly-formed Metro Cricket Council (five women and four men) met for the first time to usher in a new era in the state’s community cricket that will pave the way for how the game will take shape in the years to come.
Everything about the Metro Cricket Council is novel. The formation of this advisory committee came off the back of recommendations from the NSW Districts Cricket Association’s (NSWDCA) Future Directions Project which was launched in August 2024. The review was conducted in collaboration with the NSWDCA Committee and metro associations, culminating in the members voting to dissolve the NSWDCA at their Extraordinary General Meeting in February this year.
With the dissolution of the NSWDCA, metro community cricket associations will be able to affiliate directly to CNSW. The Metro Cricket Council has been formed as a consultative and advisory board for CNSW management to work with on strategy and the direction of the game.
Identified from community nominations, assessed via a skills matrix and appointed by the CNSW Board, the Council’s make up is representative of the community it will serve. This includes five of the members being female and two members with South Asian backgrounds, signalling the greater involvement in cricket from those sections of the community.
The primary task of the Metro Cricket Council will be to advise CNSW management on community strategy and the direction of community cricket in metropolitan Sydney and also advocate for and support the execution of the strategy.
The Council met for the first time on 29 April as an introduction with the first order of business to confirm the focus and agenda for the Metro Cricket Forum held at Cricket Council on 6 May.
Previously elected at the NSWDCA Annual General Meeting, the Metro Community Cricket Delegate will now be elected by affiliated metro associations in a specially convened meeting immediately before the Metro Cricket Forum. The Metro Community Cricket Delegate will join the Metro Cricket Council in an ex-officio capacity on a one-year term.
The first members of the Metro Cricket Council are:
Karen de Wit: Karen works in sports broadcasting and content andas a volunteer, she has been heavily involved in both male and female representative cricket programs, including establishing Sydney Cricket Club’s Emerging Tigers Academy.
Jocelyne Basseal: Jocelyne is the Director of Global Research at a Sydney-based university and has been actively involved in Junior Girls Cricket and Cricket Blast at Summer Hill Cricket Club for over seven years.
Cynthia Rouse: Cynthia is currently Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at an ASX-listed company. She volunteers her time at Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club and is Cricket NSW’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year.
Matina Moffitt: A well-known name in cricket volunteering, Matina is a partner in audit at a Financial Services firm. Matina helped develop the Sixers Cricket League in the Inner West and oversees the Inner West Harbour Junior Cricket Association’s representative cricket program.
Kapil Shukla: Kapil has been part of the finance and investment banking industry for over 20 years, and also volunteers his time at West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club as Deputy Junior Director. Kapil also coaches the women’s 2nd Grade team at Northern District Cricket Club.
Aditi Bhasin: Aditi is parent to a new-to cricket child, with her son registering to play Cricket Blast and actively works towards promoting female cricket participation. She is passionate about ensuring that cricket reflects the multicultural nature of the community.
Justin Isaacs: Justin is a financial advisor by profession and has been a cricket volunteer for 24 years, his roles ranging from club president of Wenty Leagues Cricket Club to being on the Board of Parramatta District Cricket Association.
Aaron Consunji: Currently Head of Risk, Compliance & Controls at a Big 4 Bank, Aaron has extensive experience in cricket and other grassroots sports as coach and manager of multiple sporting clubs and committees.
Paul Tait: Paul is a senior Australian Public Servant with extensive sport experience as a participant and volunteer across Cricket, Rugby and Surf Life Saving. He has helped Randwick Juniors grow from 20-50 teams in his time as registrar.
“We welcome the formation of the Metro Cricket Council and the selection of its members as the harbinger of the future of community cricket in Sydney," said Lee Germon, CEO of Cricket NSW.
“The Metro Cricket Council will contribute to and actively support club health strategy and support programs for volunteers, coaches and umpires to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for their members as cricket participation in Sydney continues to evolve and grow.
“The Metro Cricket Council will reflect this passion and enthusiasm, and with their support, we at Cricket NSW hope to, in turn, create a world-class environment for our cricket participants to play and love the game. "