Share

Ex-batsman Smith named as new England selector

London - Former Test batsman Ed Smith has been appointed as England's new national selector, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday.

The ECB said Smith, who succeeds James Whitaker, would be part of a "new approach to scouting, assessing and selecting players for the senior men's Test, T20 and one-day sides, ensuring greater connection right through the international pathway".

Smith, who had been a cricket writer and broadcaster, said: "I'm delighted to take on the role of national selector. I was very happy with what I was doing previously but the chance to be at the forefront of this development in English cricket was too good an opportunity to turn down."

The 40-year-old Smith, who has a first-class history degree from Cambridge University, has written approvingly of the 'Moneyball' approach to recruitment that has revolutionised the process of talent identification in major North American sports.

"Selection and talent ID have always fascinated me and I've explored extensively how they are evolving," he added on Friday in an ECB statement.

"It is an exciting time for England cricket. I'm very much looking forward to working with (head coach) Trevor (Bayliss), (Test captain) Joe (Root) and (limited-overs captain) Eoin (Morgan), as we work towards ensuring that the talent in English cricket feeds into consistent performances in all formats of the game."

Smith will appoint a full-time independent selector to work alongside him and Bayliss in a three-man panel, with a new scouting system reporting to the trio.

A former Kent and Middlesex captain, batsman Smith played three home Tests for England in 2003 after a prolific run of county form.

He scored 64 in his first Test innings but managed only 23 more runs in his next four innings and was dropped.

ECB director of England cricket Andrew Strauss, a former Middlesex colleague of Smith, said: "Ed stood out as an ideal candidate for the role for a number of reasons. There is real depth to his talent identification knowledge and he's done a great amount of research into the subject."

Strauss, himself a former England captain, added: "He has a rich and varied sum of experiences having played professional cricket for 12 years and having written extensively on cricket and other sports.

"As well as this he has a strong academic interest in high performance and excellent knowledge of the international game.

"Ed will come to this role with fresh ideas and his input will help us implement a structure that we hope can become world-leading, not just in cricket but in sport generally."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE