The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed former Australian all-rounder Marcus North as the new Men’s National Selector. He replaces Luke Wright, who resigned for personal reasons.
North has played 21 Test matches for Australia and was previously the director of cricket at Durham. He will now be involved in selecting all men’s squads, including senior teams and the Lions and Young Lions programmes.
“We were very impressed with the quality of candidates during the selection process. Marcus stood out due to his knowledge of domestic cricket, his varied experience, and the relationships he has developed in county cricket over many years,” said Rob Key, England Men’s Managing Director, in an official statement.
“He has been part of the county game for many years, both as a player and as Director of Cricket at Durham, where he gained great respect. His International experience with Australia will be a significant asset for England Men’s cricket.”
North joined Durham in 2018 and played a key role in the club’s promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2022. In his new position, he will manage cricket during the English summer and work on scouting, succession planning, and central contracts for England players. He will also cooperate with the ECB’s science and medicine team on player availability and workload management.
“I am thrilled to be appointed England Men’s National Selector. It is a great honor to take on such a significant role, and I am eager to help develop the England Men’s teams. Having worked closely within the county game, I recognize the depth of talent available. I look forward to collaborating with the counties to identify and support players who can excel at the international level,” North stated.
“I am passionate about shaping the future of England Men’s teams. I can’t wait to start working with Rob, Brendon, Ben, Harry, and the rest of the performance team to build squads that can compete successfully across all formats,” he added.
England has announced its squad for the first Test against New Zealand, scheduled to start on June 4 at Lord’s. Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have been dropped from the squad, while newcomers include uncapped players Emilio Gay, Sonny Baker, and James Rew. Fast bowler Ollie Robinson has also returned to the squad after being omitted in 2024.