Andrew Strauss has stepped down as England’s director of cricket after three and a half years and following a spell of compassionate leave.
The former England captain took a break from day-to-day duties in the summer to help care for his wife Ruth, who was diagnosed with cancer during the Ashes in December 2017, and says he is no longer able to offer full focus on the national side as he continues to support his family.
Andy Flower, who has covered the role for the past four months, will continue in his interim capacity until December. A full-time appointment will be made before England’s West Indies tour in January before what will be an important year for England as they host both a World Cup and an Ashes series.
“Next year is potentially the most important the game has had in this country, with the World Cup on home soil and a home Ashes series, and we have an incredible opportunity to do something special,” Strauss said before adding that his family situation meant he could not guarantee the commitment required. “It is vital that the director of cricket can give consistent guidance and support to England cricket through this period.
“Taking time out this summer to support my wife and kids, as Ruth goes through treatment for cancer, has given me the chance to fully consider what’s right for England and what’s needed at home. The role in cricket requires total focus and commitment to deliver the best results, yet right now I need far more flexibility than could ever be possible in my position in order to support my family.”
Strauss will take on a more versatile role within the England and Wales Cricket Board, initially supporting the chief executive officer Tom Harrison in the process of recruiting a full-time successor.
Flower, a former head coach with England, is one candidate to take the role on a full-time basis. Also thought to be a strong candidate is Alec Stewart, who as Surrey’s director of cricket steered the side to victory in the County Championship as well as overseeing the progression of a series of talented cricketers such as Sam and Tom Curran, Ollie Pope and Rory Burns from county to national level. Ashley Giles – the Warwickshire sport director who has held posts as England selector, limited-overs head coach and Lancashire director of cricket – is another contender.
Strauss was appointed England’s director of cricket following the side’s dismal group-stage exit at the 2015 World Cup. His first task was to sack the coach Peter Moores, appointing Trevor Bayliss as his replacement in a successful bid to focus the side more sharply on shorter formats of the game. He also eased restrictions on England players taking part in the Indian Premier League having been set a target of landing the country’s first major 50-over trophy.
England will go into the series against Sri Lanka as the top-ranked one-day team and the limited overs captain Eoin Morgan believes Strauss’s decisions paved the way for the team’s current success. “He’s been at the forefront of it, he was incredibly instrumental in our forward thinking and planning to the position we are in at the moment,” said Morgan at the series launch in Colombo.
“It’s easily brushed over but going back to the summer of 2015 the direction given by him to myself and Paul Farbrace – who was interim coach at time – and all the selectors was to build something to prepare for the 2019 World Cup. Without that direction we wouldn’t have been allowed the freedom to play in that manner, to know we could plan four years ahead. The absolute clarity and direction he wanted us to go was quite a big deal.”
Bayliss added: “We all understand the reasons why he’s had to step away, we fully understand that and appreciate the struggles his family has in front of them. He’s done a fantastic job. Andrew has been very helpful behind the scenes.”
Not all of Strauss’s innovations worked, with the jury still out on the value of his North v South games, while his Super Series idea – in which points were awarded for Test, ODI and Twenty20 results across an international series – has quietly been shelved. He has also supported the controversial Hundred competition.
A big early test of his reign was over whether to reinstate the ostracised Kevin Pietersen to the England side after the 2013-14 Ashes debacle. Strauss told the batsman there was no way back for him hours after he had scored an unbeaten triple century for Surrey. Last September Strauss clamped down on player behaviour after the Bristol nightclub incident involving Ben Stokes and Alex Hales, then put a curfew on the side after what he called “naive” behaviour on the 2017-18 Ashes tour. In April, he appointed Ed Smith as the new chairman of selectors in an attempt to revamp the process.
Harrison said: “Andrew has brought enormous credibility, measured thinking, strong leadership and exceptional insight and we have been extremely fortunate to have worked so closely with him for the last three and a half years. He has improved the ways we work and set the direction for the men’s Test, one-day and T20 teams.”
