Gloucestershire add trio to board with aim of being world's "most environmentally sustainable" club

Dr Adeela Shafi, Asif Rehmanwala and Sally Cordwell will all serve three-year terms following their appointments

Gloucestershire have added three new members to the county's non-executive board as part of the club's quest to become "an integral part of its community and the most environmentally sustainable cricket club in the world".

Dr Adeela Shafi, Asif Rehmanwala and Sally Cordwell will all serve three-year terms following their appointments.

Rehmanwala is the chief executive of Ecotricity, the renewable energy company, and also serves as a board director at Forest Green Rovers. Gloucestershire have become increasingly active in sustainability practices in recent times, including swapping their electricity supply to only come from renewable sources and becoming English cricket's sole signatory on the United Nations Sports 4 Climate Action. In November, they signed a world sport agreement to reach net zero emissions by 2040.

"I think there is passionate belief within the board and executive that there is a huge opportunity to work together on creating a new, exciting and transformative vision, identity and strategic roadmap, which promises to be amazing for the club, region, community and all of our stakeholders," said Rehmanwala.

Shafi, an associate professor in education at the Universite of Gloucestershire, added: "Being a member of the board is a way in which I feel I can contribute to the development of cricket in the region so it can both give to the community in terms of good, fair cricket and draw the best talent from its communities."

Last month, David Lawrence – the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler – was named as the club's first black president in its 152-year history.

^{Sally Cordwell, Asif Rehmanwala and Dr. Adeela Shafi have all joined Gloucestershire's board}

Upon his appointment, he told The Cricketer that he was keen for the county to become better rooted in the city of Bristol.

"I want them to be more in the community doing things as a cricket club," he said. "I'm quite heavily involved with a friend of mine with the homeless – he converts cargo shipments to homes for the homeless. So, I want the club to get involved with stuff like that – just thinking outside the box a bit.

"Bristol is built on music as well. It's a great culture city, and it's a vibrant and wonderful city. One of the things they need to do is embrace Bristol and be a part of that.

"Most cricket clubs have their set way and that's it really. We have an opportunity to change that. That's what it's about. We change it, we move forward and bring it up to date a bit. It's not asking a lot. It's just bringing cricket and how it's seen outside to be updated and that's all I'm trying to do really: get away from that stuffiness. That's the biggest thing for me. Try to be a bit more relaxed."

The trio replace John Nicolls and Adie Britton on Gloucestershire's board; they both stood down having reached the end of their respective terms.