Ashley Giles appointed ECB director of cricket

Ashley Giles has been appointed ECB’s managing director of England Men’s Cricket.

The former England international spinner, who is currently sport director at Warwickshire, replaces Andrew Strauss in the role, who stepped down in October.

Giles, 45, will be responsible for the long-term strategy of the England men’s cricket teams and the performance pathways leading into the international teams. He will also be responsible for developing the right coaching and management structure to support it.

The appointment follows a month-long formal recruitment process led by ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison.

Commenting on the appointment, Harrison said: “We were fortunate throughout this process to interview some of the most talented and respected people in the game.

“Ashley was the standout candidate amongst a very strong field. He will bring a fresh perspective to the role and build on the excellent work carried out by Andrew Strauss over the past three and a half years. He has a tremendous passion for England cricket, extensive knowledge of our county game, and a wealth of experience from playing at the highest level to becoming a respected leader in the sport.

“He will lead the England men’s teams forward in what is a pivotal year with an ICC Cricket World Cup and the Ashes series, both on home soil. This is a key appointment and we are excited about Ashley’s arrival.”

Speaking of his appointment, Giles said: “I am delighted to be joining the ECB and shaping the future of England cricket throughout the men’s game.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity and excited about working with some talented people. The legacy left by Andrew Strauss has put the performance programme in a stable place. It is fundamental that I facilitate the great work currently being carried out, meet our objectives and help our sport achieve great things in the coming years both domestically and internationally.

“I believe it is important for the game to have a strong international setup, which is showing great promise in what will be a significant year for our red and white ball teams leading into the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup this summer and The Ashes. The next 12 months could transform the game like no other time in recent memory.”

“Finally, I would like thank Warwickshire and in particular chairman, Norman Gascoigne, and chief executive, Neil Snowball, for their guidance and support during my time at Edgbaston.”

Giles played for Warwickshire for 13 years and, following his retirement in 2007, became the director of cricket, leading them to the championship title in 2012. In November of that year, he left to become England’s limited-overs coach before taking over as the head coach and cricket director at Lancashire two years later.

In his first season at Lancashire he won the Blast and led the county to promotion to Division One of the County Championship.

Giles played 54 Tests for England and later worked as a national team selector from 2008 to 2014.

He returned to Warwickshire as Sport Director in January 2017 and he has led the transition of the men’s playing squad, which has included the recruitment of several talented young cricketers and the graduation of a number of young players from the Academy to the senior ranks. The men’s team also reached the final of the Blast in 2017 and returned to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship at the first attempt by being crowned champions of Division Two in September.

Giles will officially start in January ahead of England’s tour of the Caribbean.