ECB appeal for help is so embarrassing
THE England and Wales Cricket Board, criticised for their inept handling of the Ben Stokes saga, are reaching out to the rest of British sport for advice on how to attract a head of integrity.
But it is embarrassing in the extreme for the ECB to send out a speculative email to nearly 70 different addresses across sport on the same day they announced Stokes would be returning to the England squad for the New Zealand tour — despite being charged with affray.
It is strange that the job of monitoring player discipline is being created long after it was needed, as the Stokes episode and Ashes drinking incidents proved. Also, why do the ECB want to reveal their failings to every other sports body?
The amateurish circular from Hester Lyne, HR (people) partner at the ECB, did not even target specific HR chiefs. For example, it was sent to seven different people at the RFU.
It read: ‘Hi all, As part of a few internal changes we are creating a new position in ECB for a “Head of Integrity” which will cover investigation and enforcement in anti-doping, anti-corruption, safeguarding, player discipline, financial regulation and standards in the game.
‘I wondered whether any of your organisations have a similar position? And whether you would be willing to share the job description for this role in your organisation? It would be great to base our advert on an existing version. Thanks for your help in advance.’ ECB made no comment.
TROUBLED radio network TalkSPORT won exclusive audio rights to Football League matches partly on the back of their promise to properly promote the competition and put commentaries on the main channel. So the FL should be concerned at tonight’s Derby v Bristol City fixture hosted by top presenter Mark Saggers (above) being relegated to talkSPORT 2 with the Danny Kelly phone-in show on talkSPORT. The Football League claim they are comfortable with the decision.
SOMERSET’S new chief executive Lee Cooper said in an interview in The Cricketer that he is considering naming the Taunton ground’s new stand after former captain Peter Roebuck — subject to county committee approval.
The idea will not sit well in some quarters, not least with Roebuck’s long-time foe Sir Ian Botham, who played in the same Somerset side. Roebuck is believed to have committed suicide in 2011 by jumping from the sixth floor of a Cape Town hotel after police investigations into an alleged sexual assault on a male student.
Cooper, a former Somerset second XI player, was once made to do press-ups by Roebuck after bowling badly in the nets.
VICTORIA PENDLETON, Olympic champion cyclist turned one-off jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, is changing roles at ITV racing where she has been little employed recently. She is to focus on behind-thescenes features rather than live reporting, which exposes her racing inexperience.
England’s bidding war
ENGLAND are playing an important role in the 2026 football World Cup bidding process, with the country’s two leading sports bid strategists and long-time rivals John Tibbs and Mike Lee again in competition. Tibbs’s JTA Associates are representing hot favourites USA, Mexico and Canada with Lee’s Vero working for Morocco.
THERE is life after working for the RFU it seems — if you want to swap Twickenham for a California beach. Former RFU media chief Will Chignell is joining up again in a chief marketing role with his former commercial director colleague Sophie Goldschmidt, now the CEO of the World Surf League.
STILL no word from the BBC about the future of George Riley, popular sports news presenter on 5 Live’s breakfast show. He has been off air since October when the Beeb began investigations of improper conduct. A BBC spokesman still has no information as to when the probe will finish.