ECB hit by second board member resignation

The ECB has been thrown into further turmoil by the resignation of a second board member but has declined the request for an independent inquiry into the issue of compensation payments to Test-hosting counties.

Three weeks after Andy Nash, the former Somerset chairmen, stepped down citing what he saw as failures in corporate governance at the ECB, Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairmen, has also departed expressing concerns in the leadership of Colin Graves and the lack of transparency regarding ECB policies.

The catalyst for the resignations of both men has been payments made to Glamorgan and the suggestion further payments will be made to Test-hosting counties in years they do not host such games.

While the ECB has suggested such a policy was, in the broadest of senses, endorsed by the board during a teleconference in September 2016, it is clear that Nash and Thompson feel the issue required greater scrutiny and discussion in relation to the circumstances in which such payments might apply, beyond the specific circumstances of Durham that were being discussed at the time.

Thompson also questioned during the county chairmen's meeting on Monday whether the policy contravened the requirement of the constitution of the ECB to treat all of the first-class counties equitably. His concerns were echoed by the chairmen of several other counties, notably Sussex and Somerset. Kent and Essex are also understood to have reservations. But a request for an independent enquiry into the compensation payment issue found little support at the chairmen's meeting and was declined.

The ECB subsequently put out a press release suggesting that Thompson's resignation was due to a restructuring of the board. While it is true that directors who held cricket roles within the domestic game would have had to either resign those roles or step down from the board at the AGM in May, Thompson's resignation is far from procedural.

There is also growing concern that the board restructure will lead to the first-class counties being underrepresented at board level. While the counties all signed up to changes in the make-up of the board to ensure greater gender and ethnic representation - as required by Sport England - those alterations were bundled in with others which will mean no county representation on the board. The extent of those changes were not required by Sport England.

ESPNcricinfo also understands that the ECB is considering introducing payments for board members. Most could be eligible for payments of around £15,000 to £20,000 a year, though the chairman could, in future, be paid around £150,000. It is understood Graves will decline any personal payment.