KEY POINTS:
The last time thoughts turned to finding a new boss to replace Martin Snedden at New Zealand Cricket, the circumstances were somewhat different.
It was four days out from Christmas in 2003 when late-night pandemonium broke out in Hamilton -- a taxi driver passing on to shocked journalists
the news that two New Zealand cricketers had been killed in a nearby car smash, and that Snedden was also involved.
It turned out the grapevine had got it wrong, none of the above were involved.
A bemused Snedden, woken from a deep sleep in his hotel room, could afford a smile the next day.
"I think NZC received a couple of applications for chief executive overnight," he said.
It was a rare moment of levity for a man whose public duties have mostly been to deal with some of the most serious international and domestic issues to inflict the game.
The Snedden list of achievements will make impressive reading when he leaves cricket in May to become the man at the helm of New Zealand rugby's 2011 World Cup organising company.
Since his shock announcement on Tuesday, the 48-year-old's trouble-shooting exploits have been documented to the hilt.
Most notable was his handling of the acrimonious 2002 player strike and several "tour or don't tour?" decisions where player security versus political pressure versus financial wipeout battles have waged war in his mind.
"I've actually enjoyed dealing with the challenges of that type," Snedden says.
"And that's some of the satisfaction that I'll get, looking back and thinking, 'well, some of those situations were dealt with quite well'.
"You have to take some risks at times, you have to make decisions under extreme pressure and you have to live with the consequences of those.
"Some issues I think I've made some mistakes and would have done it slightly differently if I had my time again ."
A lawyer of more than 20 years, Snedden says he'll leave the mistakes up to others to identify, flashing the wide grin that was a trademark in his Auckland and New Zealand playing days.
The straight fringe, double windmill bowling action and unerring seam-up medium pace deliveries that would enter a match after Hadlee and Chatfield had taken shine off the new ball are the abiding memories of a decade-long international career through the 1980s.
Midway through his tenure as CEO, Snedden readily admitted the smile wasn't seen as often.
"I'm probably a lot harder person than when I played," he said.
"If I look back at the early part of my career, I don't think I was as disciplined or as hard as I could've been, but certainly I think I developed that hardness at the end.
"And through law work I've got a lot harder again," he said.
"I'm a lot more driven and probably more skilful at working things through."
Those who have had most to do with Snedden cite his thoroughness, tough attitude, and organisation, along with a wide-ranging list of contacts, as strengths.
He revealed that psychometrics tests when he departed his legal practice for the NZC job showed a stark disparity between the left (creative) and right (logic) sides of his brain.
He is a man not prone to spin, doesn't like his time being wasted and isn't easily swayed once a decision is made.
Occasional long walks are not so much a chance to smell the flowers but to think difficult issues through.
Snedden and wife Anne -- they met studying law together at Otago University -- have four children aged from 10 to 17 and every effort is made to accommodate their interests.
Snedden's playing roots have shone through on occasions, most recently when he defended Black Caps wicket keeper Brendon McCullum for his role in the controversial run out of wandering Sri Lankan batsman Muttiah Muralitharan.
Early in his tenure he wasn't afraid to slam the umpiring of Zimbabwe's Ian Robinson in the third test against Australia at Perth, where poor decisions on the final day robbed New Zealand of an historic test and series triumph.
Snedden has also had to be tough with his players, fining McCullum and Chris Cairns $500 for a Durban nightclub incident during the 2003 World Cup , while bowler Daryl Tuffey copped double that fine after admitting his involvement in a sex video.
During the 2002 players strike which threatened to bring the top level of the game in New Zealand to its knees, Snedden never accepted the argument that the top players deserved significantly more money because they earned the bulk of cricket's revenue.
He contended that junior and club cricket warranted more funding or cricket risked disintegration from the grass roots up.
Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills refused Snedden access to the players during parts of the strike and at another point accused him of breaching a confidentiality agreement.
Yet Mills is the first now to admit that Snedden had been a fair operator and that the bitter period five years ago had improved relations between the players and NZC immeasurably.
It is appropriate in Snedden's own playing career he was a more regular fixture in the beige of the one-day team than the test side given the predominant place the more shortened version of the game has taken under his CEO stewardship.
He has had no qualms giving credence to "hit and giggle" versions of the game such as Twenty20 and Max cricket.
They are more lucrative than the longer versions and, importantly, are needed to maintain public traction as rugby encroaches further on summer and the sporting market broadens.
Snedden can't say what the major issue facing his predecessor will be when, with a tinge of sadness, he pulls stumps on nearly 30 years at the top level of cricket.
The power and resources in India is affecting the shape of the international game while New Zealand's finances, variable pitches and the Black Caps' international results are sure to keep life interesting.
Snedden may not be done with the sport that is his first love.
The rugby experience will make him an obvious contender to help organise the 2015 cricket World Cup, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
If he doesn't return, he can reflect on a period in charge of cricket where he shone by adeptly handling a barrage of bouncers.
"In a lot of the issues, I was making decisions under extreme pressure and not with all of the information available," he says.
"I had to make a choice to go one way or the other and I was quite comfortable doing that.
"I don't think anything comes back to haunt."
- NZPA