- Bobat, 41, will take up the position of director of cricket at IPL franchise
- Barney has spent the last seven years with England and Great Britain Hockey
- He previously worked at the ECB between 2010 and 2013 as talent ID scientist
Ed Barney has been given the unenviable task of replacing Mo Bobat as the England and Wales Cricket Board’s performance director.
Barney, 41, will inherit the position in March when Bobat heads to the Indian Premier League as Royal Challengers Bangalore’s director of cricket.
He has spent the last seven years as PD of England and Great Britain Hockey, a period which coincided with the GB women’s team winning a third Olympic medal in Tokyo, the England team claiming Commonwealth gold and the men finishing runners-up and the European Championships and achieving a top-three world ranking.
Barney also previously worked with the ECB, from 2010 to 2013, as a talent identification scientist, setting up the governing body’s talent ID and scouting programme.
‘I’m looking forward to building on much of the exceptional work that is in place, whilst ensuring that the quality of our provision supports the most talented players to realise their potential, excel on the world stage and inspire the nation about everything that cricket has to offer,’ he said.
Ed Barney, performance director for England and Great Britain Hockey, is set to take up the same role with England cricket
Mo Bobat is heading to the Indian Premier League to take up a role with Royal Challengers Bangalore next year
England’s T20 team in action against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday
Although Bobat’s major focus has been on preparing the next-best players in the country, he was invited into selection meetings during Andrew Strauss’ time as the England team director and became an influential figure behind the scenes as England became double world champions and revitalised their Test cricket under Brendon McCullum.
Rob Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, said of Barney: ‘Ed has an outstanding record in a number of high-performance sports.
‘The men’s performance director is a vital role as we look to continually increase the depth of talent and prepare players for the rigours of international cricket.
‘What is clear with Ed is that he has been able to do that at England and Great Britain Hockey, building world-class programmes that has left them in a better place than when he started, while his experience with the ECB makes him ready-made to build on the significant work we have already been doing.’