Ian Watmore, the former chief executive of the Football Association, has been appointed the next chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Watmore, 61, will start his role on 1 December and will replace Colin Graves, who stands down in November after becoming the ECB chairman in 2015.
“I’m incredibly proud to be appointed to such a prestigious position and look forward to continuing Colin’s work and making the most of the tremendous momentum that cricket is currently enjoying,” said Watmore.
“I feel privileged to be given this opportunity to help a sport that I care passionately about.
“All my life, I’ve seen the power of sport to unite communities. I look forward to working with the ECB and its stakeholders to grow the international, domestic and recreational game and make a positive difference to society.”
Graves, 72, succeeded Giles Clarke as chairman in 2015 and helped grow the game at grassroots level and also helped create the new The Hundred competition, which begins in July.
During Graves’ time as chairman both senior men’s and women’s teams have won their respective World Cups.
“‘I’m delighted Ian has been appointed to be the next ECB chair,” said Graves.
“When I took the post back in 2015, I could not have dreamed that the game would be in the shape it is today. The opportunity to grow cricket and bring more people into the game has never been so significant.”
Watmore became chief executive of the FA in 2009, but resigned after disagreements with senior FA board figures after less than a year in the job in March 2010.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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