ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD (ECB) has appointed Aarti Dabas as its chief revenue officer, entrusting her with leading and shaping the game’s commercial and revenue strategy. Dabas will officially join the ECB in the new year.
Dabas brings with her extensive global sports industry experience, having most recently served as chief media officer at Formula E, where she was instrumental in driving the sport’s worldwide growth and expanding its media footprint.
Prior to that, she spent over 12 years with the International Cricket Council (ICC), including five as head of media rights, broadcast, and digital. During her tenure, she oversaw the ICC’s global media rights strategy, delivering significant revenue growth, established ICC TV as its in-house content production unit, and led the organisation’s digital transformation.
She also played a pivotal role in advancing women’s cricket, contributing to record-breaking Women’s Cricket World Cups, notably the 2017 edition hosted in England and Wales.
In her new role, Dabas will oversee the negotiation and management of key partnerships across broadcast, media, and commercial sponsorships. She will also head the ECB’s marketing and brand strategy, drive innovation, and identify new avenues for sustainable growth across the sport’s ecosystem.
ECB chief executive officer Richard Gould said, “Aarti has an outstanding track record of driving sustainable commercial growth and engaging a diverse fan base, and I’m delighted to welcome her to the ECB. By growing cricket in recent years we have been able to invest in the sport at every level, from getting more children playing and supporting the grassroots game to running our England teams, while also delivering record funding to our counties. It’s vital that we continue to grow cricket’s reach, relevance and financial sustainability, and Aarti brings invaluable knowledge and expertise from a range of commercial environments to help us achieve this.”
Dabas expressed, “I am grateful for the opportunity and incredibly energised to be back in cricket. Cricket has been a lifelong passion, and to contribute to the sport’s commercial growth in England and Wales and beyond, is an honour. The ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy and commitment to becoming the country’s most inclusive team sport by 2028 is a powerful north star. I am eager to leverage my experience to accelerate this vision. I look forward to working with Richard Gould, the ECB Board, colleagues at the ECB, commercial partners and the wider global cricket family to grow the sport while embracing its rich traditions, its push for diversity and the future of the media and consumer landscape.”
