Ed Barney joins ECB as new Performance Director

The ECB has appointed its successor to long-term Performance Director Mo Bobat, following the recruitment of Ed Barney from the same role with England and Great Britain Hockey.

Barney, 41, had previously worked with the ECB as a Talent Identification Scientist from 2010 to 2013, and moved to his hockey role in 2016 where he oversaw a period of sustained success, including Olympic gold for GB women in Tokyo in 2021 and a maiden Commonwealth Games gold for the England women’s team in Birmingham 2022.

The men’s hockey team also reached third in the world rankings, their highest ranking in 20 years, before they won silver at the European Championships – their first medal at that level in 14 years.

Barney’s original stint with the ECB overlapped with that of his predecessor Bobat, who was with the board for 12 years from 2011, before accepting a new role as director of cricket at Royal Challengers Bangalore, which is due to commence in February.

“The opportunity to return to the ECB and take on the role of Performance Director was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Barney said. “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.

“It’s been a real honour to lead the performance team at England and Great Britain Hockey over the past seven years. It has been very special to see many of the junior teams break through, whilst the senior programmes have excelled on the world stage with European, Commonwealth Games and Olympic medals.

“As Performance Director it has been a real privilege to work with so many exceptional players and colleagues who day-to-day inspire one another to strive to be better. I want to thank everyone at England and Great Britain Hockey and look forward to following their success in the future.”

Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, said: “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.”