Governance review launched by the ECB

The England and Wales cricket Board (ECB) has fired the starting gun on a review into its governance structure.

Ian Lovett, deputy chair of the ECB, will conduct the review, which will look at board structures and composition, processes, elections and committee selections.

“This will be evidence and analysis led, collaborative with the game and transparent, with key stakeholders within the process,” said a statement made by the body.

Governance reform is a hot topic within the sport sector following the publication of the government’s Code for Sports Governance last year.

The document sets out a number of requirements, with an emphasis on board composition.

Governing bodies with less than a 30 per cent gender balance will be in danger of losing public money they receive from Sport England and UK Sport.

There are less defined targets around black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) representation, but this is still expected to improve.

The requirements kick in from next month, and the ECB could easily be perceived as one of the organisations in danger of losing funding.

Out of its 13-strong board, only two representatives are women – Lucy Pearson and Jane Stichbury. Lord Patel of Bradford OBE is the only BAME individual on the board.

The ECB receives no UK Sport funding for elite participation, but it has recently been granted £7.6m of Sport England money.

Colin Graves, chair of the ECB, said that good governance was “critical to effective decision-making, minimising risk and protection reputation.”

“It’s essential for the future success of cricket,” he said.

Graves added: “Two years ago, on becoming chair of the ECB, I promised members open discussion, transparency and accountability with my main objective of attracting more revenue into the game to be passed onto its stakeholders.”