ECB chief defends England regime over criticism from 'dropped' players

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has dismissed recent criticism of the national set-up as the inevitable frustration of players who have lost their places, insisting the organisation must concentrate its resources on those currently wearing the shirt.

Speaking after Jonny Bairstow, Reece Topley and Liam Livingstone all voiced dissatisfaction with their treatment once dropped, Gould said the high-stakes environment of international sport means exits are always painful.

“When players come out of the England fold, it’s difficult for them,” Gould said. “It’s difficult for any player when they get dropped in any sport and they will not agree with the decision. I wouldn’t want them to agree with the decision. These are competitive men and women seeking to play at the highest standard for as long as they can.”

Livingstone, who last played for England a year ago, labelled last season’s Champions Trophy “the worst experience I’ve had playing cricket”, while Topley suggested that verdict was “a bit kind”. Bairstow, dropped after the 2024 campaign, argued last week that “you need the care back in the game”, adding: “As soon as you are out of the system, you are out of the system.”

Gould stressed that with 28 centrally contracted men and about 16 women, the ECB must prioritise the active group rather than an extended queue of hopefuls. “There’s probably about 300 players who want to play for our England teams. We do have to focus our resources on those that are in the teams,” he said.

The comments come amid an ongoing review of England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat, after which managing director Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum and Test captain Ben Stokes retained their roles. McCullum is currently in New Zealand and will rejoin the squad before the first Test of the summer against the Black Caps on 4 June; Gould said he did not yet know the coach’s travel schedule.

Gould also rejected any move to bar Australian players from county cricket ahead of the 2027 Ashes, noting that nationality-based restrictions would be unlawful. “It would be against the law to discriminate against any nationality in terms of playing cricket so, no, there are no policies in place,” he said.

ECB managing director Rob Andrew echoed the stance, saying periodic debates about overseas-player quotas centre on competition balance rather than nationality bans. “Rob Key might want all the Australians banned from playing, but I don’t. It’s not something that was discussed during the domestic review,” Andrew added.

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