Counties ratify ECB overhaul

The annual general meeting of the England & Wales Cricket Board was held at Lord's on Tuesday, and resulted in an historic decision to ratify immediate changes to the board's articles of association. It wasn't quite a case of turkeys voting for Christmas, but given the reputation that county cricket clubs have earned for intransigence, it was a remarkable show of faith in the leadership of the ECB.

The First Class Forum, the representatives of the 18 first-class counties plus the MCC, has voted itself out of existence, meaning that the executive board of the ECB has been streamlined from 18 members to 12, consisting of just three committees - cricket, commercial and financial. The ECB was granted unanimous approval for its proposals, which were outlined in their strategic plan - Building Partnerships - which was unveiled in mid-April.

"This is an historic day for cricket in England and Wales in that we move to a system of corporate governance which can be truly described as modern and streamlined," said David Morgan, chairman of the ECB, after the meeting. "This progress reflects the positive mood which currently prevails and I am particularly grateful to all areas of the game, which have combined to produce a unanimous vote in favour of the special resolution."

The ECB has come in for criticism in recent months for its decision to sell all home international TV rights to Sky, but their subsequent commitment to grassroots regeneration has been visible and impressive. Last week, they unveiled a new plan to reintroduce the game to state schools, while the upshot of this latest decision is that each county will be encouraged to turn itself into a profitable, self-perpetuating organisation, rather than surviving on handouts from the board.

"I am delighted for the unanimous support of all the stakeholders of the game in these important changes in streamlining the constitution of ECB," said David Collier, the chief executive. "This change in governance was an important plank in our strategic plan - Building Partnerships - and demonstrates the forward thinking and progress that cricket has made in recent years."