Seasoned Cricket Enthusiast to Oversee New Disciplinary Body for English Professional Cricket
In a significant move to uphold the integrity of English professional cricket, the ECB board has appointed Richard Whittam KC as the inaugural chair of the newly established Cricket Discipline Panel (CDP). This independent tribunal will take over the responsibilities previously held by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).
Whittam, a specialist regulatory and criminal barrister with a strong background in sports-related disciplinary matters, has been appointed for a four-year term. The 64-year-old has previously served as a deputy high court judge and has chaired discipline, safeguarding, and appeal panels in rugby union since 2014. He is also a member of the World Rugby and European Professional Club Rugby Judicial Panels.
As the chair of the CDP, Whittam will be responsible for presiding over specific disciplinary cases and appointing the other panel members, who will possess a diverse range of skills and expertise. The panel will be tasked with considering cases related to breaches of the ECB’s Professional Conduct Regulations, Anti-Corruption code, Player and Match Officials’ Minimum Standards, Cricket Playing Conditions, Bowling Review Regulations, Pitch Regulations, and Head Protector Regulations.
“I am delighted to be appointed to this important role,” said Whittam. “It is vital to the integrity of cricket that the sport’s rules and regulations are upheld. As the first Chair of the CDP, I look forward to getting the Panel up and running and ensuring that cases are dealt with promptly, in a fair, thorough, and transparent manner.”
ECB chair Richard Thompson expressed his confidence in Whittam’s appointment, stating, “The independent Cricket Discipline Panel will play an important role in enforcing cricket’s regulations and dealing with any misconduct and regulatory breaches. Richard Whittam KC has an impressive background in law and sports discipline which makes him the ideal person to chair the Panel.”
Thompson also extended his gratitude to Tim O’Gorman and the members of the outgoing Cricket Discipline Commission for their dedicated service in enforcing cricket’s regulations over the years, and he expressed his appreciation for their continued service while the new CDP members are recruited.
This transition to the Cricket Discipline Panel marks a significant step in the ECB’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability in English professional cricket. The appointment of Richard Whittam KC as the inaugural chair underscores the organization’s dedication to ensuring a fair and transparent disciplinary process.
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