A player shortage resulted in the then 60-year-old shining brightly in what was his first top-grade cricket game in nine years and his first cricket game in four years.

Bowling what he joked were Greek orthodox nudies for South Tamworth against Old Boys, he finished the day with 1-3. His third and final over was a maiden.

It was a special day for the highly respected figure and for South Tamworth, whom he joined in 1975.

Read also:

"No one wants to get out to Psarakis; they'll live with it the rest of their lives," he joked post-match.

It was the last game of cricket he played - with him farewelling, in grand style, his one-time natural habitat and returning to his ongoing natural habitat: sports administration.

Last week it was announced that Psarakis had been repointed vice-chairman of Country Cricket NSW. Just prior to that, he was reappointed chairman of the Central North Cricket Zone.

On Thursday, he presided over the demise of the Group 4 season due to COVID-19. He is the organistion's chairman.

He has also served on the NIAS board for almost two decades and is vice-chairman of the Wests Entertainment Group, a major supporter of community sport.

His previous sports administration roles are equally extensive, and include serving as a Northern NSW Football board member and as president of the Tamworth District Cricket Association

Given he also run his own eponymous accounting firm, his high-level involvement in so many sporting organisations begs the obvious question: how does he find the time?

"I think the old story is, you give someone who's busy work," he said. "But, look, I'm very lucky that I've got very good staff, and so that does help a lot.

"And I've got support from my wife, Karen. And I'm very lucky in that sense - that I get support both from work and from home.

"So I try and be busy ... Yeah, I haven't got a problem with that [not having enough on his plate]."

Psarakis comes across as an eternally optimistic man - the glass-half-full type.

And given the uncertain and unprecedented times we are living through, it is a trait that has never been more needed, especially when combined with his vast experience.

Community sport is banned until NSW reaches a double-dose vaccination rate of 80 per cent.

"It is very, very unusual times," Psarakis said. "And hopefully we'll get around it and hopefully we'll start playing [cricket] sometime probably now in November.

"That's the plan. So probably a month late for us country people."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: