The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that Simon Pack, International Teams Director, is to leave its employment next month after three years in the post.

As International Teams Director, Simon Pack was brought in to oversee and improve policy, organisation, management, logistical and financial support for all matters relating to the England international teams. He has been specifically responsible for spearheading the introduction of Central Contracts for England players and, over a two year and a half year period, has worked closely with Don Trangmar, Chairman of the Central Contracts Review Group and many other leading figures in the game, to introduce Central Contracts in the current season. This - and many other significant tasks that he addressed - have now been successfully completed. Following a wide-ranging review of ECB activities in which Simon Pack played a major role, it has been decided that many of the responsibilities of the post of International Teams Director can be transferred to the soon-to-be-created post of Performance Director (which Hugh Morris, currently Technical Director at the ECB, has been asked to fill). It became apparent during the review that there would, in future, be no further need for a director-level position within the International Teams department and, therefore, a partial re-structuring of the ECB was required.

Commenting on this re-structuring, Tim Lamb, Chief Executive of the ECB, said:

"Simon has undertaken a thoroughly professional job on behalf of the ECB and, indeed, cricket generally and deserves much of the credit for having been instrumental in introducing from scratch the system of Central Contracts and also a re-defined England Team management structure. This task has now been achieved and there is a widespread recognition within the game that Central Contracts will be crucial in helping to deliver an increasingly successful England team. Simon leaves with our very best wishes for the future and sincere thanks for his substantial contribution to the game. I have no doubt he will make another major contribution elsewhere".

Don Trangmar, Chairman of Sussex and the Central Contracts Review Group, said:

"After having worked closely with Simon for two and a half years I have come to respect his outstanding administrative talents. It is through his efforts that the complicated work involved in the preparation and introduction of Central Contracts has been achieved so successfully. His operational skills will be a great loss to ECB".

Duncan Fletcher, England Head Coach said:

"The support that Simon has given to me personally, and his commitment to promoting the best interests of the England teams has been tremendous. Nowhere has this been more evident than in his skill in introducing Central Contracts which, even in their first year, are beginning to show their value - a fact which is publicly acknowledged by the England players. His organisational and administrative talents will be greatly missed".

For further information please contact:

John Read, Director of Corporate Affairs at the ECB, on 0207-432-1244.

© ECB