Andrew Strauss stands down as England Director of Cricket as his wife undergoes cancer treatment

Standing down | Andrew Strauss
PA/John Walton
Will Macpherson3 October 2018

Andrew Strauss has stepped down as England’s director of cricket after his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer.

In May, with his wife beginning a new period in her treatment, Strauss took indefinite leave, with former head coach Andy Flower stepping into the role for the summer.

Flower will continue until the end of the year, when he is expected to return to his regular post with the Lions.

Strauss, 41, will remain at the ECB, taking on a more flexible role that will see him help chief executive Tom Harrison identify Strauss’s full-time replacement, who will be appointed to take over in the new year ahead of England’s tour of the Caribbean.

“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,” said Strauss. “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. I will not be leaving the game completely — initially helping Tom to shape the role for my successor, then supporting a range of other ECB projects — but it’s important to see someone else in place for a crucial summer in 2019.”

Having spent time working in media since his Test retirement in 2012, Strauss had been director of cricket since 2015.

After ruling out a return for the exiled Kevin Pietersen, one of his first acts was to appoint Trevor Bayliss as head coach, and between them they have helped transform England’s white-ball cricket.

The Test team have remained strong at home but struggled overseas. Strauss overhauled England’s method of selecting squads this year, appointing Ed Smith as national selector.

“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,” said Harrison. “He has improved the ways we work and set the direction for the men’s Test, one-day and T20 teams. He deserves huge respect for the way he has managed his role, fully supported Ruth and their boys and calmly considered this decision.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in