Ian Watmore: Chairman leaves England and Wales Cricket Board

Ian Watmore (left) presents Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes, CEO Stuart Cain and chairman Will McCafferty with the County Championship trophy last month

Chairman Ian Watmore has left the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Watmore is a former chief executive of the Football Association and senior civil servant.

His departure comes as the ECB prepares to meet to make a decision on whether or not England men's Ashes tour of Australia this winter will go ahead.

The board will meet in the coming days to decide on the tour, which has been under threat because of the conditions in which it will be held as a result of coronavirus.

On Monday the ECB said it will "decide whether the conditions are sufficient for the tour to go ahead and enable the selection of a squad befitting a series of this significance".

Since then, positive talks have been held between England players and Cricket Australia to move the tour a step closer to being confirmed.

Watmore depart soon after the England men's and women's teams withdrew from limited-overs series in Pakistan scheduled for this month.

The ECB said there were "increasing concerns about travelling to the region" and that going ahead with the tour would will "add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments".

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