Ed Smith will re-enter English cricket’s corridors of power this autumn, taking a seat on the ECB board as a non-executive director from 1 October. He steps in for Baroness Zahida Manzoor, whose three-year term has concluded.
Announcing the move, the ECB said Smith’s brief “will provide scrutiny and challenge, looking at the long-term strategy and governance of the whole game, including performance cricket”. In practice, that means offering an independent eye on everything from county pathways to Test selection without getting lost in day-to-day dressing-room detail.
Now 48, Smith is best known for his spell as England men’s national selector between 2018 and 2021. During that stint England lifted the 2019 ODI World Cup and, more controversially, ran a rest-and-rotation policy designed to protect players’ mental and physical health through Covid-era bio-secure bubbles. It was a forward-thinking idea, though critics felt it muddled continuity in the Test side.
On the playing front, the Kent- and Middlesex-raised batter featured in three Tests back in 2003, partnering Marcus Trescothick at the top of the order in Bangladesh. Injuries shortened his career, yet he has remained a prominent cricket voice through writing and broadcasting, and he is currently serving a one-year term as MCC president.
His return to the governing body follows England men’s 4-1 Ashes defeat last winter – a tour overshadowed by questions about discipline, most notably an incident involving Harry Brook outside a Wellington nightclub in October. The timing, therefore, invites suggestions that the board wants a sharper focus on professionalism and long-term planning.
“I am delighted to be joining the ECB Board,” Smith said. “Having been involved in the England Men’s set up before as National Selector, I am pleased to be able to contribute again to English Cricket, this time as a Non-Executive Director. It is an extremely important period for both the England Men’s and Women’s teams and I am looking forward to working with Richard and the Board.”
ECB chair Richard Thompson was equally upbeat: “Ed brings sharp thinking and a real depth of domestic and international cricketing experience. Alongside his cricket background, he has a strong strategic mindset and an independent voice that will add real value to our Board discussions.”
Thompson also paid tribute to the outgoing director: “Our sincere thanks go to Baroness Manzoor for her significant contribution, commitment and deep care shown throughout her three years on the ECB Board.”
Attention now turns to the pitch. England Women open the international summer with a limited-overs series against New Zealand on 10 May, before the men welcome the same opponents for the first Lord’s Test on 4 June.
