‘An absolute honour’: England appoint Rob Key as director of men’s cricket

England have appointed Rob Key as their permanent managing director of men’s cricket. The former Kent captain has taken over from Andrew Strauss, who held the role on an interim basis after Ashley Giles’s sacking in February.

The announcement from the England and Wales Cricket Board has come two days after Joe Root resigned as captain of the men’s Test side, and a significant early challenge for Key comes with deciding upon a replacement for the man who oversaw just one victory in England’s last 17 Tests.

Despite the troubled landscape he finds himself parachuted into, Key said: “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 shape the next great era of English men’s cricket.

“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, 42, has worked as a commentator for Sky since his retirement from playing in 2015. Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said: “Following a thorough recruitment process, Rob stood out in a very competitive field. His passion and knowledge of the game at 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