Image caption – ECB Performance Director, Mo Bobat (Getty Images)
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that it has appointed Mo Bobat as Performance Director for Men’s Cricket.
Bobat has been promoted from the role of Player Identification Lead and will take charge from David Parsons, who left the post in July.
The role is positioned closer to England men’s international teams, working with Men’s Head Coach Chris Silverwood and National Selector Ed Smith to support the delivery of performance plans and selection strategy.
Commenting on the appointment of Bobat, Managing Director of England’s Men’s Cricket Ashley Giles, said:
“The position of Performance Director is a critical post in the development of our long-term strategy for elite performance. Mo demonstrated through his knowledge and experience that he has the attributes to take us forward in this area.
“He will be responsible for identifying our highest potential players and leading programmes that will bridge the gap between county and international cricket helping us to deliver successful, respected and inspiring England players and teams.
“The Performance Director will work closely with our network of counties to enhance the size and quality of our talent pool and ensuring that we’re jointly making decisions in each player’s best long-term interests.
“We have to develop a long-term strategy that identifies the best players in the country that can step up and excel in the international cricket arena. We will expose them to learn and perform in all conditions around the world.”
Speaking about his appointment, Bobat, added:
“I am delighted and honoured to be appointed Performance Director, at what is an exciting time for English cricket.
“I am looking forward to working closely with both Chris Silverwood and Ed Smith, and in doing so, supporting the performance needs of our England teams and moving us closer to achieving our aim of being the most respected team in the world.
“Developing strong relationships with our counties to enhance the size and quality of our talent pool will be paramount. I aim to ensure that our highest potential players receive individualised support and international-specific experiences.
“It is a hugely exciting role and the vision is that the strength of our counties and our high-performance system delivers deliberate and sustained success across all formats.”
Bobat, 36, has studied sports science and management and is also in the process of completing a Masters in sporting directorship. Prior to joining the ECB in 2011, Bobat worked as a lecturer and teacher in Leicester, augmenting his experience as a Level 4 certified cricket coach.
Since being promoted in 2016 as England men’s Player Identification Lead, he has formulated the structure and processes underpinning the identification of prospective England players and has developed a strong connection to England team selection.
