Beth Barrett-Wild is set to lead Sussex Cricket as its new chief executive, transitioning from her significant role at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), where she was the tournament director for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
This appointment is central as Sussex navigates through a challenging phase after facing financial hurdles earlier this year. Due to their financial difficulties, the ECB placed them under special measures, which led to spending cuts. This fiscal restraint resulted in departures, including that of club captain John Simpson and promising talent Henry Crocombe. Furthermore, Paul Farbrace, who had stepped down from his head coach position to serve part-time as cricket director, eventually moved to Lancashire.
Nonetheless, Sussex achieved a commendable third place in the Division One County Championship standings, despite beginning with a 12-point deficit.
“I’m incredibly proud to be joining Sussex Cricket, a club that marries a rich history with a future teeming with opportunity,” Barrett-Wild stated. “The cricket community’s sense of family and belonging has always resonated with me, and now being able to guide such a historic club is beyond what eight-year-old Beth could have imagined.”
The club has worked assiduously through recent turmoil to establish a firmer foundation over the past year. Barrett-Wild expressed her eagerness to collaborate with Sussex chair Ed Warner, the board, and club stakeholders to drive the club forward with renewed vigour.
Her cricket journey began playing for Essex, later moving to the MCC, and in 2013 she joined the ECB as media manager for the England women’s team. She advanced to manage the Women’s Hundred and became a director within the women’s professional game division, steering the implementation of the three-tier county system by 2025.
Upon commencing her role in Hove on January 1, she will succeed interim CEO Alex Paterson.
Ed Warner articulated his excitement about Barrett-Wild joining Sussex: “Beth’s exceptional skills and passion have been transformative for women’s cricket, and I’m eager to see the dynamic future she will help shape for Sussex Cricket.”
The competitive recruitment process saw Barrett-Wild’s expertise and enthusiasm emerge as exemplary, marking her as the ideal candidate to guide the next exciting chapter in Sussex Cricket’s storied history.
