London, Dec 20 (IANS): The England and Wales Cricket Board on Wednesday appointed Ed Barney as Performance Director for England Cricket.

Barney, who is set to begin his new role in March, joins from England and Great Britain Hockey where he has been Performance Director since 2016.

The 41-year-old has also previously worked with the ECB, from 2010 to 2013, as a Talent Identification Scientist when he led the implementation of a world-leading talent ID and scouting programme.

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

During his time at England and Great Britain Hockey, he oversaw Olympic, European and Commonwealth Games success. The women’s team won an unprecedented third Olympic hockey medal in Tokyo, while the England women won a first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham last year.

“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,” he added.

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

“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.” explained Ed Barney.

Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key praised Ed Barney appointment and 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,” he concluded.