Ed Smith appointed to ECB board as non-executive director

The England and Wales Cricket Board has appointed former national selector Ed Smith to its board as a non-executive director.

Smith, who played for Middlesex and Kent and earned three Test caps, will join the ECB on 1 October when his one-year term as MCC President ends.

He served as England men’s selector from 2018 to 2021, during which they won the World Cup on home soil in 2019.

The ECB said that Smith’s role “will provide scrutiny and challenge, looking at the long-term strategy and governance of the whole game, including performance cricket”.

Smith’s appointment comes after England’s miserable Ashes tour, where their preparation, attitude and professionalism came under intense scrutiny after the 4-1 thrashing.

He will replace replace Baroness Zahida Manzoor, who has completed her three-year term.

England’s international summer begins with the women’s white-ball series against New Zealand on 10 May before the men face the same opponents in the first Test on 4 June.