LONDON: Colin Graves, who was appointed the Chairman of England Cricket Board (ECB) was planning to retire on August 31, after successful five years of his tenure.

Ian Watmore will succeed him as new ECB chief.

According to the ECB, Graves was set to retire after supervising the first season of ‘The Hundred’, English franchise Twenty20 competition that was originally scheduled to start in the summer of 2020. However, the new competition was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the postponement of the event, Graves decided to stand down early.

Commenting on his decision, Graves said: “With the launch of The Hundred unavoidably moved to 2021, I have reviewed last year’s extension of my term as Chair, and put a request to the Board to now finish early, on 31 August.

“It feels important to both the game and the ECB Board, to allow Ian Watmore to commence his role earlier than originally agreed. I have no doubt that his wealth of experience in sport, business and government will be invaluable as we navigate through this crisis.

“I have been extremely heartened by how cricket has come together in these recent, unimaginable times. There remains a long road ahead, but I have immense confidence in the excellent leadership of Tom Harrison, our Executive Management Team and the ECB Board as they shape the direction of our response to COVID-19.

“It has been a privilege to work with so many passionate people across the game who are driven by their belief in cricket s power to improve lives and connect communities.

“There is still much to be done in the coming months as I continue to lead the ECB during this challenging time. As we get closer to August I will look forward to saying my farewells and sharing good wishes to all those I have worked alongside.”