Henderson will relinquish the role in mid-February due to work commitments with current board member Baird taking over.

“It is an honour to take on such an important role in Australian cricket at a time when so much exciting work is being done to grow our national sport and take it forward,” said Baird.

“I’m pleased to have the chance to work even more closely with CEO Nick Hockley and his team and all those working across Australian cricket.”

As a former premier of Australia’s most populous state between 2014 and 2017, the well-connected Baird will be the highest-profile chair in Cricket Australia’s history.

He takes over at a tumultuous time for the governing body which is in broadcast rights negotiations – and with Hockley taking heat over his handling of star player David Warner’s bid to overturn a leadership ban.