England and Wales Cricket Board announces Richard Thompson as the next chair

Richard Thompson was announced as the next chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board on Saturday (August 7) and will take up the role from September 1 for a five-year period. Thompson will succeed Martin Darlow who has been the interim chief in the post since April after Ian Watmore stepped down in October 2021.

Thompson is set to leave his current role as chair of the Surrey Cricket Club and the 55-year-old was appointed after a diligent selection process. It must be noted that Thompson was quite successful as the chair of Surrey, taking them to greater heights and the notations committee had recommended Thompson to the ECB.

I will work tirelessly to restore the trust in the game: Richard Thompson

Thompson stated that he is proud to become the next chair of ECB and highlighted the significance of cricket in meeting a lot of people. He admired the love for the game from different parts of the country and was confident of taking the game to new heights in the country.

“I am immensely proud to become Chair of the ECB at what is a hugely important time for cricket. Cricket has given me the chance to meet an incredibly diverse range of amazing people. Their passion, endeavor and love for the game is what I want to harness, to take our game forward, to new heights across England & Wales,” Thompson said as quoted by News 18.

Thompson also noted about the influence of cricket in joining different communities inside the country and was keen on ensuring that everyone who deserves gets to play the game. He added about the different assignments coming up in the next few months including the global ICC events.

“Cricket should be the most inclusive sport in the country, welcoming people from all backgrounds, helping bring communities together. For those communities where we have fallen short, I will work tirelessly to restore their trust in the game. With the Men’s & Women’s Ashes on the horizon, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October and the recent successes in our red ball game, along with hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 there is much ahead of us,” he added.