Cricket Australia (CA) won approval from its member states on Friday to implement the biggest board restructure in over a century.

The 14-person board will be cut to nine and three will now be independent.

The others will comprise one from each of the six state associations.

Under the current 14-member board, foundation states South Australia, NSW and Victoria have three votes each, with two each to Queensland and Western Australia plus one for Tasmania.

CA chairman Wally Edwards will be one of the state-appointed directors, alongside John Bannon, Earl Eddings, Dr Harry Harinath, Michael Kasprowicz and Tony Harrison.

The change will be effective from CA’s annual general meeting on October 25.

Edwards said on Friday the decision was the biggest change in Australian cricket governance since CA was founded in 1905 by NSW, Victoria and South Australia as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket.

“Australian cricket needs a governance that the modern sport deserves as a highly-professional, major player in the global sport and entertainment arena,” Edwards said.

“The outgoing governance served the sport well, as our long-term record in community participation, on-field international performance, and winning a place as a part of our national identity over the decades shows.

“But we are no longer a group of stand-alone states seeking to collectively organise international cricket matches — we are increasingly thinking and acting as one unified national sport facing increasing competition for the public’s attention and support.”

The changes follow a governance review by Colin Carter and David Crawford which recommended a smaller, independent board.

A CA nominations committee including Edwards, Cricket Victoria Chairman Geoff Tamblyn, South Australian Cricket Association President Ian McLachlan and business leaders Don Argus and Tony Hodgson will identify and recommend three independent directors to join the CA Board.

The new board will meet for the first time on October 26.