Tom Harrison steps down as ECB Chief Executive

The long standing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the England and Wales Cricket, Tom Harrison will step down after more than 7 years in that role. Former England Skipper Claire Conner will replace Harrison on an interim basis until a permanent appointment is made. 

Claire Connor, 45, played 16 tests, 93 ODIs and two women’s T20I in a 10 year long career that spanned from 1995 to 2005. She is currently serving as the managing director of Women’s Cricket at the International Cricket Council and last year took charge as the female president of the MCC. 

"It has been a huge honour to be CEO of the ECB for the past seven years. Cricket is an extraordinary force for good in the world and my goal has been to make the game bigger and ensure more people and more communities in England and Wales feel they have a place in this sport," Harrison said. "The long-term health of cricket depends on its ability to grow and remain relevant and be more inclusive in an ever-changing world.

"The past two years have been incredibly challenging, but we have pulled together to get through the pandemic, overcome cricket's biggest financial crisis, and committed to tackling discrimination and continuing the journey towards becoming the inclusive, welcoming sport we strive to be. I have put everything into this role, but I believe now is the right time to bring in fresh energy to continue this work."

With the ECB going through a revamp phase, the possibility of Harrison stepping down has been spoken about for quite some time. His involvement in the Yorkshire racism controversy had come under scrutiny as also England’s decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour at the last instance in 2021.     

"The ECB will now begin a comprehensive search process to identify the next CEO who will lead the ECB and work with stakeholders across cricket to ensure the continued growth and development of the sport," the ECB said in a media release.

"A key part of this role will be taking on leadership of the game-wide programme of action and improvement to make cricket a welcoming and diverse sport, including through the continued implementation of the action plan agreed in November 2021 to drive out discrimination within the game.

"Since becoming the CEO in January 2015, Harrison has overseen record levels of investment across the game at all levels and has led the delivery of the ECB's 'Inspiring Generations' strategy, which aims to make cricket a bigger and more accessible and inclusive sport," the ECB said.

"He also led the ECB's response to the Coronavirus pandemic as cricket confronted unprecedented financial challenges and became the first sport to achieve the return of competitive international fixtures in July 2020."