Former ECB CEO David Collier Passes Away at 70, Leaves Lasting Cricket Legacy

Collier served as ECB chief executive for a decade, from 2004 to 2014. During his tenure, England's men's team won the Ashes on four occasions and also lifted their first-ever ICC trophy by winning the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2010. In 2011, England reached the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for the first and only time in history.

English women's cricket also enjoyed remarkable success under Collier's leadership. The women's team won five Ashes series during his tenure and secured both the 50-over and 20-over World Cup titles in 2009.

One of the most memorable moments of Collier's time in charge came in the summer of 2005, when England won both the men's and women's Ashes. The celebrations saw thousands of supporters line the streets of central London to cheer the teams, as they were in an open-top bus parade.

Collier took over as the ECB's second chief executive in 2004, succeeding Tim Lamb. Before that, he held various administrative roles with sides including Essex, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire. Away from cricket, he was a qualified hockey umpire and also served as the chief executive of the Rugby League International Federation. He later held the position of Vice President at American Airways.

His time at the ECB was closely associated with his partnership with former chairman Giles Clarke. Together, they were instrumental in negotiating the landmark £220 million broadcast rights deal with Sky Sports in December 2004, a move that ended English cricket's long-standing presence on free-to-air television. After stepping down in 2014, Collier was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to cricket.

Paying tribute, current ECB chief executive Richard Gould said it was deeply saddening to hear of Collier's passing.

"It's immensely sad to learn of the death of David Collier. Everyone who knew and worked with David will speak to what a gentleman he was, and to how hard he worked in leading our game," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"He served cricket with great distinction, and he was instrumental in a period of growth which has contributed to where the game is today. Some of our earliest advances in the women's and disability games were made under David and I know he was proud of taking the game forward during his time at the ECB - his contribution speaks for itself," he noted.

"The thoughts of all of us at the ECB are with everyone who knew and loved David," he added.

- ANI