ECB abandons Rooney Rule for coach recruitment

The England and Wales Cricket Board has abandoned routine use of the Rooney Rule in hiring coaches for national teams. The ECB said its recruitment practices have evolved over the last eight years.

The commitment to interview at least one applicant from an ethnic minority background was made in 2018. An ECB spokesperson said coach recruitment processes are now tailored to each role's requirements. Some appointments involve open recruitment while others involve targeted searches for specialist skillsets.

The ECB confirmed that not all appointments since 2024 followed the Rooney Rule. It remains committed to improving diversity and representation within cricket through strengthening the coaching pipeline rather than applying the rule in every case.