According to multiple reports, former England batter and national selector Ed Smith is set to join the ECB board as a non-executive director. His appointment is subject to ratification at the ECB annual general meeting in May, and he will take up the role in October if approved. Smith will replace Baroness Zahida Manzoor, who has reached the end of her three-year term.
Smith won three Test caps for England and scored more than 17,000 runs in domestic cricket for Middlesex and Kent. He served as national selector for the England men's team between 2018 and 2021 and is currently serving a one-year term as president of the MCC. In an official statement, Smith said he was delighted to join the board and looked forward to contributing again to English cricket.
I am categorically not going to be a selector for England. To be the chairman of selectors, you need to be a really good figurehead because you need to be able to speak to the media and the fans very well to explain decisions. They've also got to be able to stand up to (captain) Ben Stokes and (head coach) Baz McCullum and give an alternative view. At certain times, you've looked at a side and gone 'actually, I'm not sure that's right.' Stokes and Baz have been able to push their way through.
The position of national selector is currently vacant following the departure of Luke Wright, who assumed the role in November 2022 and stepped down in January after England's Ashes defeat to Australia. The role was recently advertised on LinkedIn, with the ECB expressing a desire for candidates to have significant professional experience and intimate knowledge of international and first-class cricket. Applications have closed. According to The Independent - Sport, Alastair Cook has ruled himself out of the role, describing the need for a figurehead who can stand up to captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. England's men's international summer begins against New Zealand at Lord's from Thursday 4 June.