On April 17, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Rob Key As the Managing Director of England men’s cricket. Rob Key takes over for Andrew Strauss, who had been serving in the position of interim manager since Ashley Giles left earlier this year.
Rob Key Appointed As New Managing Director of England
Former England cricketer, Rob Key will take over as manager immediately and will step down as a Sky Sports commentator. The 42-year-old will develop a strategic plan around the England cricket team, as well as performance providing importance to them. He will also be a member of the High-Performance Review, which is likely to begin soon after England has been under continual criticism due to falling results in the game’s longest format.
“It is an absolute honor 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”, Rob Key said.
“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”, he added.
“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”, Key further said.
I am sure players and staff alike will enjoy working with Rob: ECB CEO
Rob Key served his country in 15 Tests, 5 ODIs, and 1 T20I, scoring 839 runs, with his best score coming 221 versus West Indies in the 2004 Lord’s Test, an effort that won him the title of Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2005. However, it was in first-class cricket that Rob cemented himself as a mainstay, amassing over 28,000 runs and 62 hundred.
Tom Harrison, ECB CEO 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 levels are 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 with his experience and skillset during the transition and recruitment process was invaluable. He remains a huge asset to English and Welsh Cricket”, Harrison concluded.
