Although the organisation is the England and Wales Cricket Board, it is referred to as the ECB, not the EWCB, as a result of a decision by those overseeing the transition from the previous bodies.
Richard Gould took over as permanent CEO in February 2023,[8] replacing Clare Connor, who had held the office on an interim basis since May 2022.
Three other committees – Cricket; Audit, Risk and Governance; and Regulatory – work with the senior management team on policy, planning and strategic issues.
The ECB also employs the English Test match captain and other centrally contracted players, as well as being responsible for the National Cricket Performance Centre, currently based at Loughborough University in Leicestershire.
The long-term strategy to deliver world championships in the men's and women's games had a successful conclusion in the summer of 2019.
It raises revenue from the proceeds of sales for tickets at One Day International and Test matches in England and Wales.
The ECB is also responsible for the generation of income from the sale of sponsorship and broadcasting rights, primarily in relation to the English team.
In May 2018 ECB launched an action plan for engaging South Asian audiences in England and Wales.
[20] The ECB also leads the sport's efforts with regard to the integrity of cricket, including anti-doping[21] and anti-corruption initiatives,[22] and safeguarding of all who play and administer the game.
England won the men's Cricket World Cup for the first time in a thrilling final against New Zealand at Lord's in July 2019.
From 2020 onwards, the counties’ Western and Eastern divisions are split into two five-team groups between which sides are relegated and promoted.
The ECB also works at grassroots level with organisations such as Chance To Shine that are dedicated to encouraging talented and enthusiastic youngsters to play as much cricket as possible and maximise their potential.
However, Cricket Wales and Glamorgan have consistently supported the ECB and the concept that Welsh players of international standard will continue to represent England.
Bethan Jenkins, Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on heritage, culture, sport and broadcasting, and a member of the petitions committee, argued that Wales should have its own international team and withdraw from the ECB.
That surely can't be right.”[52][53] In 2019 the ECB launched a game-wide strategy to grow interest in, and engagement with, cricket over the five years between 2020 and 2024.
[55]” Inspiring Generations has been made possible by the signing of a media rights deal worth about £1.1billion, the vast majority of which will be paid by Sky television.
[56] The key focus is on six areas, in which the ECB has pledged to: One of the most important elements of the Inspiring Generations strategy is the delivery of a plan to make cricket a truly gender-balanced sport and to build on the significant progress in the women's game in the first two decades of the 21st century.
[57] This process is built around the following five targets: More than 850 clubs now offer women's and girls’ cricket, a total that was fewer than 100 in 2009.
In 2020 the ECB launched a new competition called The Hundred which the board said was designed to appeal to families and younger cricket fans.
[62] The decision was taken to engage with this community in particular because more than 30% of active cricketers in England and Wales at the time identified as being of South Asian extraction.
The 11 principal action points included installing non-traditional playing facilities in urban areas and delivering cricket at schools with a higher than national average representation of BAME pupils.
The SAAP also led to the installation of 110 non-turf pitches in urban areas and the recruitment of 600 female volunteers to boost the initiative.
The programme is designed for all children who are new to cricket and focuses on the sport's specific skills, as well as activity and teamwork in general.