CA backs 'under fire' Sutherland despite 'sacking if Oz loses Ashes 5-0' suggestions

Cricket Australia (CA) has declared that the board's chief executive James Sutherland will not be sacked even if Australia's Test team loses the winter Ashes series five-nil.

The statement came following sacked coach Mickey Arthur saying that the jobs of Sutherland and captain Michael Clarke are on the line if Australia loses the Ashes series to England again like the summer.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, however, CA chairman Wally Edwards said that although they want to see continued improvement from the team, Sutherland will still be the CEO of Australian cricket even if they lose the Ashes, adding that there will be no changes to his contract, which goes on through to June 2015 after the World Cup.

Expressing his satisfaction with Sutherland's performance, Edwards said that he is bewildered from where the rumours have started, adding that India was a difficult tour on difficult wickets which put the team out of their comfort zone while the they failed to take the given opportunities in England, which is typical of a young side.

The report mentioned that CA has assured that Australian cricket is in strong financial health, with revenue increasing by 63 per cent to 684 million dollars in the four-year cycle from 2009-2012, compared with 418 million dollars in the 2004-08 cycle, because of its record domestic deal which included selling the Big Bash League to Network Ten.