Graves elected as ECB chairman

Colin Graves has been elected as the next chairman of the ECB, while changes to the constitution that are expected to result in Giles Clarke becoming the governing body's first president were also approved.

The ascent of Graves was already assured after no other candidates were put forward before the deadline. He will stand down as Yorkshire chairman next month and succeeds Clarke, who has been in the role for eight years, with a mandate to revitalise the game in England, alongside the ECB's new chief executive, Tom Harrison.

The handover in power will officially take place in May, at the ECB's annual general meeting. Clarke will however retain a key position of influence if he is put forward as president by the nominations committee, as expected. The 41 board members ratified the creation of the new role, which will primarily involve representing the ECB on the ICC's executive board.

Graves, the businessman who helped revive Yorkshire, will serve a five-year term, to avoid having an election that clashes with England hosting the World Cup and Ashes in 2019. His priority will be to raise the profile of the game domestically, after 2014 saw a significant drop in playing numbers.

"It is a great honour and a privilege to be elected as ECB chairman and I would like to thank the membership of the ECB for offering me their full support," Graves said.

"My immediate priority will be to work closely with our new chief executive officer Tom Harrison, my fellow board members and the rest of the ECB's senior leadership team to develop a comprehensive new strategy to grow cricket's appeal still further across more diverse communities in England and Wales. With an Ashes series this summer and ECB hosting ICC global events in 2017 and 2019, we have a fantastic opportunity to inspire more people to play, attend and follow cricket and build on our position as the country's number one summer sport."