Former England batter Mark Ramprakash provided his thoughts on Rob Key’s appointment as the ECB’s managing director of England men’s cricket, saying that he was “surprised” the former Kent captain was preferred for the job.

Key’s name had been heavily linked to the post prior to the official announcement on Sunday. While his appointment has been largely met with optimism, despite the list of tasks that awaits him, Ramprakash hinted that his inexperience could be a stumbling block, considering the lack of leadership that currently exists in the English cricketing landscape.

“Rob is a likable guy,” Ramprakash wrote for The Guardian. “His experience with Sky means he understands the media landscape and the news agenda, which is really important. However, I must say I’m surprised he has been named as managing director of England men’s cricket.

“My own view is we are at a watershed moment in English cricket. The vacuum at the top of the game is extraordinary. I can’t think of any point in my lifetime where there has been such a lack of direction or leadership. And given where we are, are we really going to look around the room full of ex-cricketers, and say: “Why don’t you have a go?” It makes me feel uncertain about the future of English cricket.”

Ramprakash further added that England might have been better served had they cast the net wider in searching for a solution.

“There has always been an element of jobs for the boys in cricket and society – you only have to look at the government to see that – but I do think we should have been looking outside the box; people like Rob Andrew at Sussex, or Clive Woodward, and from within cricket Mo Bobat, who has been carrying out the MD duties, and Paul Farbrace, or Vikram Solanki, who has a law degree and moved from Surrey to be a director of cricket in the Indian Premier League. Normally Andrew Strauss isn’t afraid to make strong decisions and he searched far and wide to bring in Trevor Bayliss,” he elaborated.

“Candidates have to have some experience of the role. It is all very well to have some interesting ideas, but you need to be able to back them up with evidence and work with people at all levels, from the ECB board to the county chairmen to the coaches and right through the structures and pathways in a systematic and methodical way.”