Ian James Ward was born on 30 September 1972 in Plymouth, Devon. He was educated at Millfield School, then began a professional cricket career with Surrey in 1992.

After being released, he worked other jobs before earning a route back into county cricket in 1997.

Ward played for Surrey and Sussex and won five England Test caps in 2001. He moved into broadcasting in 2001 with Sky Sports and became a full-time presenter after retiring from cricket in 2005.

He now works as a cricket commentator and presenter for Sky Sports Cricket, where he became the main presenter of international matches in 2020.