ECB abandons Rooney Rule for coach recruitment

The England and Wales Cricket Board has abandoned the routine use of the Rooney Rule when recruiting coaches for national teams. After first committing in 2018 to interview at least one ethnic minority candidate for coaching roles across national teams, the ECB confirmed to BBC Sport that its hiring practices have evolved to include targeted searches alongside open processes.

Recent high-profile appointments included Stephen Fleming as Test head coach in July and Charlotte Edwards as women's head coach in April 2025, the latter appointed without an open search. The ECB stated it remains committed to diversity by prioritizing the development pipeline for ethnically diverse and female coaches rather than applying the rule in every instance.