Lisa Sthalekar appointed Federation of International Cricketers' Association president

Former Australian skipper Lisa Sthalekar has been named the new Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) president, thereby making her the first woman to hold the position. 

Sthalekar, who represented Australia in 187 international matches between 2001 and 2013, succeeds former England cricketer Vikram Solanki as the president. The 42-year-old was appointed president at the FICA Executive Committee meeting held in Nyon, Switzerland.

Speaking on the appointment, a delighted Sthalekar said that she was ‘ honoured and excited’ to take up the role.

"I'm extremely honoured and excited to be FICA's new president," Stalekhar said. 

"We are entering a new phase of the game which covers more cricket than ever before for our male and female players. More countries are playing the game which demonstrates that cricket is certainly becoming a global game.

"I look forward to working on behalf of our member players' associations and players, and in particular to working with the ICC to ensure that all players have their rights protected and can work in partnership with administrators to make our game even better."

FICA's executive chairman Heath Mills described the 42-year-old as the ‘best candidate’ and also had words of praise for the outgoing president Solanki.

"Lisa was clearly the best candidate and her credentials are unparalleled as both a former player and broadcaster. Her previous roles as an Independent Director of FICA and on the Board of the Australian Cricketers’ Association demonstrate her long standing commitment to the players’ association movement and advancing player rights,” Mills said.

“The Ex Co would like to thank Vikram Solanki, our outgoing President, for his significant contributions to FICA over his tenure.”