England Turn To Their Rivals, Appoint Forgotten Australian Star As National Selector

England appoint new national selector [Source: AFP]

England and Australia have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the 1900s. The two nations don’t have a love lost relationship, and they often try to humiliate each other in The Ashes, which is one of the biggest cricketing spectacles.

Hence, an Aussie working alongside an English team for the betterment of the England cricket team is something that has never happened before. However, on Thursday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made a shocking announcement, which involved a former Aussie star.

Marcus North set to be appointed England national selector

In the latest and shocking development, the ECB is set to announce former Australian cricketer and Durham’s Director of Cricket, Marcus North, as the new national selector. The Western Australian legend will replace Luke Wright, who stepped down from the post after England’s embarrassing Ashes loss.

According to a report by the Telegraph, North seems to have beaten the competition from former England pacers, Darren Gough and Steven Finn, and his appointment is expected to be announced by next week.

Interestingly, North is set to have a bigger role than Wright. The former England batter was appointed as the England selector, while North would fill in a more senior role in the ECB, and is likely to have a free hand in terms of picking the squads.

Finn was touted to be the next national selector, but the Australian's expertise in administration made him a clear favourite.

North's County experience, the reason for his appointment

North has spent a considerable time in the English County Championship, and has extensive experience in playing and scouting players. Under his guidance, Durham recovered from their devastating relegation in 2016 due to financial aspects, and have become a force to be reckoned with in the County circuit.

North has given two quality top-order English batters, who are likely to be picked in the England squad in the near future- Emilio Gay and Ben McKinney.

Not only with Durham, but North has also worked as director of cricket at South Northumberland CC in Newcastle before getting the job at Durham.

Apart from the English County Championship, North has been a part of The Hundred franchise, Northern Superchargers- now called Sunrisers Leeds.

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North's cricketing journey at a glance

After years of being consistently on the fringes, the left-handed batter got his maiden Australian opportunity during the 2008-09 South Africa series, and he scored a century on his maiden Test at the Wanderers.

His ability to grind on difficult pitches made him a middle-order favourite, but post the Ashes 2009, his decline started.

He last represented Australia in 2010, and was removed from the squad by the selectors. The stylish left-handed player represented his nation in 21 Tests, scoring 1171 runs, with an average of 35. He also played in two ODIs, and a solitary T2OI game, but his career never really took off.

If appointed next week, the 46-year-old’s first assignment could be to pick the England Test squad for the New Zealand series at home, starting on June 4.

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