Connor to represent Europe on ICC committee

Clare Connor has been taken on a new role alongside being the ECB's chief executive - she has been appointed as the European representative to the ICC Women's Committee. It's the same role that her predecessor Gill McConway held.

The committee, formed in 2005, has three main objectives: to govern and manage women's cricket in conjunction with the ICC; provide leadership to the Regional Development Managers to assist them in developing women's cricket in their region; and to make recommendations to the ICC Development Committee for future women's cricket initiatives.

Connor will join representatives from four other regions on the committee, which meets twice a year, including Carol Whilby-Maxwell (Americas), Catherine Campbell (East-Asia-Pacific), Kerri Laing (Africa) and Shubhangi Kulkarni (Asia). The Netherlands' Betty Timmer is the committee's chairwoman.

Connor captained England for six years from 2000 until retiring. She was awarded the MBE in 2004 and the OBE in 2006. She said she was honoured by the appointment. "With so much international cricket on the horizon, and participation levels at an all-time high, it is an exciting time to be in a position to make an impact on the women's game through association with ICC.

"In particular, the women's World Cup and the Twenty 20 World Championships, both in 2009, will be impressive showcase events to show how dynamic the women's game has become in recent years."