ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison has insisted that he is not “clinging on for grim life” after seven years in the job and a power vacuum that leaves the Board without a Chair, Men’s Head Coach, Selector or permanent Director of Cricket.
Harrison has this week dismissed Managing Director of Men’s Cricket Ashley Giles, Head Coach and Selector Chris Silverwood, and now Graham Thorpe, one of two Assistant Coaches, after England were thrashed 4-0 in Australia.
Last September, Ian Watmore stepped down as Chair just over a year into a five-year term of office.
Joe Root will remain as Test captain, while Andrew Strauss has stepped into Giles’ role on an interim basis.
Harrison has come under fire for accepting a Long Term Incentive payment that expires this year (a handful of high-ranking executives will split a £2.1million pot), but insists he remains committed to the role.
“I’d like to be not be seen to be running away from the challenge of addressing the issues,” said Harrison.
“We’re in a particular moment, we're looking for an interim coach, we have an interim chair, we're looking for a full-time chair. We've got a lot of discussions underway.
“This is a moment where I think I have the support of the board and it is a very tough moment. And honestly, the toughest moment that I've experienced in my career, but I'm not running away.
“I have to keep going and I want to take English cricket back to a place where there's some stability, there's some calmness, frankly, and in the environment, there's a sense that we are heading in the right direction.
“I genuinely believe that, when we reflect on 2021 and the amazing things that were going on, we were reflecting in September about the strength of the recreational game, the amazing white-ball season we had.
“I know we had a terrible Test summer and no one's trying to disguise that, the incredible growth in the women's game, the impact of the Hundred, going back on free-to-air television, and 16 million people seeing a tournament and viewing figures being the best they've ever had for Test cricket and for white-ball cricket. There is an awful lot to be building on.
“I know that's not something to be talking about in the wake of an Ashes defeat and we do have to reflect hard on what happened. But I'm not saying I'm clinging on for grim death, that is not what I'm doing.
“I'm doing this because I think it's the right thing for English cricket right now. And as soon as that is not the case, you will not have to push me.”
