England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Ian Watmore is stepping down
with immediate effect, the board confirmed on Thursday. This comes after the board
was heavily criticised for its decision to cancel the tour to Pakistan, which
was scheduled to be held this month.

Watmore, who took over as ECB chairman on September
1 last year after the retirement of Colin Graves, has reached a “mutual agreement”
to leave his role following the end of the domestic season. The position, which
is usually held for a term of five years, came under fire after the ECB decided
to cancel the men’s and women’s teams tour to Pakistan citing security threat.

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“It is with regret that I step down as
chair of the ECB, but I do so in mindfulness of my own wellbeing and that of
the game which I love,” Watmore, who previously served as the chief executive
of the Football Association, said in a statement.

“I was appointed to the post in a
pre-pandemic era, but Covid has meant the role and its demands on time are
dramatically different to all our original expectations, which has taken a
personal toll on me.”

“Given this, the board and I feel the ECB
will be better served by a new chair to take it forward post pandemic,” he
said.

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The ECB cited “increasing concerns about
travelling to the region” and player welfare to cancel the tour to Pakistan,
which came days after New Zealand also pulled out of its tour to the South
Asian country due to security reasons.

The decision received widespread criticisms
with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja pledging they “will be back
stronger”.

Meanwhile, England’s trip Down Under for
the Ashes series this December is also in doubt with the board currently deliberating
over whether the series in December can go ahead due to increased concerns on
player welfare and Australia’s coronavirus restrictions.