Watmore to take up ECB chairmanship on 31 August

Ian Watmore will take over from Colin Graves as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board ahead of schedule on 31 August, after an internal investigation cleared him of recent allegations.

Watmore was appointed earlier this year and was lined up to take the reins in November, with Graves’ term extended to oversee the launch of The Hundred. With that competition now postponed until 2021 as a result of coronavirus, Graves has decided to move on.

Newspaper reports into Watmore’s departure from his previous role at the English Football League led to a review, but a three-person panel reported “no evidence to support any allegation of wrongdoing on Ian Watmore’s part”.

An ECB board unanimously endorsed the 61-year-old on Wednesday evening.

Watmore, the father of Sunderland winger Duncan Watmore, who had a loan spell at Hibernian in 2014, is a former chief executive of the Football Association. He cited ill-health upon leaving the EFL and denied any impropriety during his time with the organisation.

A statement from the ECB read: “Following the publication in a national newspaper of allegations against Ian Watmore around his 2018 tenure as a non-executive director of the English Football League, the board established a sub-committee of directors comprising Barry O’brien, Katie Bickerstaffe and Martin Darlow to review the allegations, which Ian denied.

“During an extensive process, that included a confidential review of the report referenced in media, the sub-committee has universally agreed that there was no evidence to support any allegation of wrongdoing on Ian Watmore’s part.

“In addition, it was concluded that the appointment process had been undertaken in a thorough and professional manner and the Board now regards the matter closed.”