Ruled in or ruled out – Who is in the race to be managing director of England men’s cricket?

While Chris Silverwood’s departure from the head coach role is perhaps the most notable exit, it is unlikely a replacement will be appointed until the ECB have settled on Ashley Giles’ successor as managing director of England men’s cricket.

According to the official advert for the job, “The role ultimately carries accountability for the performance of the England men’s Team, England Lions and England Young Lions and England men’s disability teams and is a key leadership role ensuring the England men’s cricket team are set up to succeed in all formats of the game,” with the managing director “responsible for defining the vision and setting the strategy for high performance in cricket, shaping an inclusive culture, and ensuring England men’s teams set the benchmark to be role models for future generations to aspire to”.

Got it?

The application deadline for the role has now passed, so you’ve missed your chance if you fancied a shot at the top job. But various notable names have reportedly thrown their respective hats into the ring, with others, at one point or another rumoured to have done so, having ruled themselves out. Here is where the race stands.

Ruled in

Marcus North, currently Durham’s director of cricket, is one of the frontrunners for the role. A former Australia Test cricketer, he fulfills the requirement of having led a first-class county environment, and also meets the desired criteria of having international experience.

Rob Key is another strong contender. While he doesn’t have management experience, the captaincy job at Kent was, in Key’s day, one of county cricket’s most hands-on and hands-full. He has also established himself as a popular, respected commentator and columnist, and has Test experience.

Ed Smith was a divisive figure in his time as national selector, but England’s record during his tenure, which ended following last year’s tour of India, was decent. They maintained their unbeaten record in home Test series, won a World Cup, and won series away in Sri Lanka (twice) and South Africa. Given their struggles since then, perhaps he deserves more credit.

Mark Nicholas has applied for the role, according to the Telegraph. While he never played a Test match, he did captain England A, as well as Hampshire for more than a decade. In a storied commentary career, he has delivered some of the game’s most well remembered lines.

In the conversation

Mo Bobat and Tom Moody are two other candidates mooted to be in the running, though it has not been explicitly reported that either has applied. Bobat has not played first-class cricket, something which could count against him. A former PE teacher, he has risen through the ranks at the ECB, taking on the role of performance director in 2019, and playing a part in selection decisions in the current environment.

Moody, a former Australia international, is a respected coach, and is currently in place at Sri Lanka Cricket as director of cricket, overseeing a period of quiet progress for the side. He coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup final in 2007, and has also made waves in the IPL.

Ruled out

Alec Stewart might have been among the frontrunners had he applied, with a strong record in charge at Surrey and a wealth of playing experience to call upon. But, according to the Evening Standard, he opted not to apply for family reasons.

Nathan Leamon is one of English cricket’s most esteemed boffins. One of CricViz’s founders, he has written books both fiction and non-, as well as serving as a performance analyst for both England and Kolkata Knight Riders, but declined to apply for the newly vacant role, according to the Telegraph.

The Telegraph also reported that Mike Hesson is not in contention, declining the ECB’s invitation to apply for the role. He oversaw an era of significant progress for New Zealand, resigning in 2018 having laid the platform for the Black Caps to become one of the best sides in the world across formats. Reports state that he was unwilling to relocate from New Zealand to take up a new role.

Andrew Strauss, a previous incumbent of the role, is currently in situ as the temporary Giles replacement, but is not thought to be a contender to take on the job full-time.