ECB deputy chair Martin Darlow to become latest board member to step down as vacancies grow

GEORGE DOBELL AND JAMES COYNE: As reported by The Cricketer in November, further departures leave the ECB looking to fill six non-executive roles on the board. Two executive roles, those of chair and chief executive, have also changed recently

Martin Darlow has become the latest member of the ECB board to step down underlining the extent of change at the organisation.

The interim chair of the ECB for much of 2022, Darlow was scheduled to remain on the board until May 2025. He will instead step down this May.

As reported by The Cricketer in November, further departures leave the ECB looking to fill six non-executive roles on the board. Two executive roles, those of chair and chief executive, have also changed recently.

Lucy Pearson, who is the only former international cricketer on the board at present, and Baroness Valerie Amos are among those who have indicated they do not wish to seek re-election.

Richard Thompson only arrived as ECB chair in September (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Jim Wood, who was originally appointed as the representative of the recreational game and played such a huge role in pushing through the Hundred, has reached the end of his term limit having served since 2014.

Barry O'Brien, who acted as interim chair of the ECB until poor health intervened, is also stepping down, while former senior independent non-executive Brenda Trenowden died in August. 

Darlow, a former detective who joined the board in 2016, took up the role of deputy chair in September having severed as the ECB representative on the International Cricket Council and held roles with Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners.

The timing of his departure comes as the game braces for the publication of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report (which is imminent).

Kamlesh Patel was critical of the ECB's response to the Yorkshire racism scandal (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Furthermore, Darlow's role in overseeing the board's response to the Yorkshire racism crisis has also been questioned. Kamlesh Patel, the Yorkshire chair, has expressed his disappointment at a lack of support from the ECB on several occasions.

Darlow also remained relatively close to the previous ECB chair, Colin Graves, and as a result, was somewhat out of step with the new regime.

Equally, though, Darlow may simply have tired of the demands of a role which, in theory, require 26 days of commitment per year but in reality necessitate far more.

Combined with some negative media coverage, it wouldn't be entirely surprising if Darlow, who spent more than 30 years investigating serious crimes, had opted for a quieter retirement. 

The Cricketer understands that several board replacements have been identified with their positions set to be ratified at the ECB's AGM in May.

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