Andrew Strauss Appointed Director of England Cricket: Latest Details, Reaction

Andrew Stauss has been appointed director of the England & Wales Cricket Board. The ECB's official site confirmed the news. ECB chief executive Tom Harrison led the search, which finally settled on former two-time Ashes-winning skipper Strauss.

Harrison referenced Strauss' decorated playing days and leadership qualities as reasons for the appointment: “Andrew’s breadth of ideas, his passion for England cricket and his proven leadership skills shone out. He was an exceptional England captain, is an authoritative voice on the modern game and has a wealth of experience building successful teams."

Some may be concerned that a generally conservative influence like Strauss is being tasked with rebuilding a struggling team. He has strong ties to the old guard many may feel needs to be changed, such as current captain Alastair Cook.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Former England bowler Bob Willis wrote in his London Evening Standard column that a Cook-Strauss partnership isn't radical enough: "England have to be more dynamic in their cricket and if Strauss is at the helm, together with captain Alastair Cook, I can’t see that happening."

Stauss will at least appoint a new coach after Peter Moores has stepped down from his post, according to the ECB's website:

"

The ECB confirms that Peter Moores has left his role as England Head Coach today.

[...]

Confirming the move, Tom Harrison said: “Peter is a man of great integrity and has offered a huge amount to England cricket.

“He is admired by the players, his colleagues at the ECB and right across the game and deserves both our deep thanks and the widest recognition for his commitment and contribution.

“The last year has been a period of transition and rebuilding in which Peter has nurtured new talent, developed new players and laid the foundations for the new coaching structure to build on."

"

His dismissal has seemed inevitable following a number of high-profile failings. The most notable involved England failing to progress from the group stage at the World Cup. Moores' team barely made a dent at the tournament, despite being drawn in a comfortable-looking group.

The dismal form under Moores' stewardship continued when England shared a Test series with a West Indies team widely considered beatable.

Strauss will have to get his first big call as director right and appoint a coach with some fresh ideas.