New president elected

The new President of Queensland Cricket is Brisbane barrister Damien Mullins following tonight's Annual General Meeting at Queensland Cricket Headquarters.

The delegate council elected 41-year-old Mullins, one of Queensland's two directors on the Australian Cricket Board, to the newly created position that will combine the previous dual roles of President and Chairman.

Test cricket legend Allan Border was also appointed as an ACB director, taking the spot left vacant by the retirement of Dr Cam Battersby after 14-years on the national body. Border, a national selector, joined the QC board last year following the death of Peter Burge.

Mullins, an ACB director since 1993, paid tribute to former Queensland Cricket President John McKnoulty who was the other nominee for the Presidency.

"I must thank John for his passionate service to the game and his whole-hearted work as a Queensland Cricket board member and as President of the organisation since 1994," he said.

In a night of change, former Norths president Bryan Phelan was elected deputy chairman; businessman Peter Evans is the new Finance Director while Queensland Junior Cricket President Kerren Smith and Warehouse Cricket identity John Forrest are the new members of the Queensland Board.

Mullins applauded the decision to elevate Border to the Australian Board.

"I'm looking forward to having the chance to work with Allan on the ACB and the delegate body deserve credit for recognising that the opportunity of having someone of his stature in the game who has contemporary knowledge of the players was too good to pass up," he said.

Long-serving Queensland Country Cricket President and QC Board Member Gary Madsen was made a Life Member.

The AGM was told that QC made a loss of $403,197 for the 2001-02 year, the result of a difficult financial climate exacerbated by such factors as the corporate collapse of Ansett and signage contractors Sportsworld and the rain-affected Test match against New Zealand.

The Queensland Cricket Board for 2002-03 is: Damien Mullins (President, ACB Director), Bryan Phelan (Deputy President), Peter Evans (Finance Director), Allan Border (ACB Director), Gary Madsen, Peter Easton, Greg Grant, Kerren Smith, John Forrest.