Former English spinner, Ashley Giles has been named the new managing director of English men’s cricket. He will leave his post as sports director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club and will be replacing Andrew Strauss, who stepped down from the role in October to support his wife during her treatment for cancer. Giles will officially start in his role from January, ahead of England’s tour of the Caribbean.
As an international cricketer, Giles played 54 Test and 62 ODIs for England in which he scalped 143 and 55 wickets, respectively. As a coach, he enjoyed success with Warwickshire when he marshaled them to the 2012 County Championship. He has also acted as a selector between 2008 and 2014, and was invited by the ECB to apply for the role of full-time national selector.
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Talking about the appointemnet, ECB CEO, Tom 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.”
Giles is expected to play a crucial role in implementing the new format, otherwise known as The Hundred, while also looking to balance the books after cuts were made to a number of departments at the ECB this year, including various men’s pathway schemes. It is an unenviable task.
On his appointment, Giles said: “I am very grateful for the opportunity and excited about working with some talented people. 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.”
