ECB abandons diversity commitment around coach recruitment

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) abandons use of the Rooney Rule in hiring coaches for national teams, saying its recruitment has "evolved". Stephen Fleming (left) and Brendon McCullum are the England men's head coaches The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has abandoned use of the Rooney Rule in hiring coaches for national teams, saying its recruitment has "evolved". In 2018, the ECB committed to interviewing at least one applicant from an ethnic minority background for all coaching roles in the national men's, women's and disabled teams. The commitment came five years before a report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) concluded discrimination was "widespread" in the sport in England and Wales.

Since then, the ECB has repeatedly stated its aim for cricket to become "the most inclusive sport in the country". Asked by BBC Sport about the hiring process for 16 roles connected to the England men's and women's teams since 2024, the ECB confirmed that not all appointments were made with the application of the Rooney Rule – and it is no longer routinely used in coaching recruitment. The Rooney Rule was implemented in American football's NFL in 2003. Named after NFL diversity committee chairman Dan Rooney, it requires clubs in American football to interview at least one ethnic minority candidate for each