Rob Key appointed as England's Managing Director of Cricket

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), on April 17, appointed Rob Key as the new Managing Director of Cricket of the men’s national team. Key took over from Andrew Strauss, who was occupying the office on an interim basis after Ashley Giles vacated the post earlier this year.

Key, the former England cricketer, will assume charge with immediate effect and will relinquish his role as a commentator for Sky Sports. The 42-year-old will build “strategy behind” the England team and the “performance pathways leading into them”. He will also be a part of the High-Performance Review, set to be initiated shortly as England have been under constant scrutiny owing to the declining returns in the longest format of the game.

“It is an absolute honour to take up this role. The chance to have an impact and make a difference is an opportunity given to very few and I will give it everything I have to try to shape the next great era of English Men’s cricket,” Key was quoted by the ECB website.

“I have absolutely loved my time at Sky and I could never have imagined leaving were it not for this incredible opportunity. I’d like to personally thank Bryan Henderson and everyone in the team for their help and support.

“Although at this current moment it has been a challenging time in English cricket, I also think it’s as exciting a time as I can remember. With two of our teams near or at the top of the world rankings and an undoubted amount of talent in our game, I hope to try and bring everyone along for the ride so we can all help take English Men’s cricket to new heights across all formats,” he added.

In his international career, Key represented his nation 21 times – 15 Tests, five ODIs and a solitary T20I – amassing 839 runs with his highest score being the 221 against West Indies in the 2004 Lord’s Test, an innings that earned him the honour of being named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2005. But it was in first-class cricket that Key established himself as a stalwart, tallying over 28,000 runs with 62 centuries against his name.

Rob’s passion and knowledge of the game is outstanding: ECB CEO

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said: “Following a thorough recruitment process, Rob stood out in a very competitive field. His passion and knowledge of the game at the domestic and international level is outstanding. He is a proven leader and combines an approachable nature with fresh original thinking and resilience which will stand him in good stead. He will bring a lot to the role and I am sure players and staff alike will enjoy working with Rob. I have no doubt he will relish the challenge before us.”

“I’d like to thank Andrew for agreeing to step back into the role on an interim basis. To have someone of his experience and skillset during the transition and recruitment process was invaluable. He remains a huge asset to English and Welsh Cricket.”