Portugal Colonial - Taylor steps down from England scout role

The 32-year-old former Test batsman was a member of the selection panel that picked England's first squad of the season for the opening match of the ongoing New Zealand series alongside the new leadership duo of captain Ben Stokes and red-ball head coach Brendon McCullum.

But that proved the last significant act of Taylor's four-year spell with the ECB, English cricket's national governing body, with Rob Key, the new managing director of men's cricket, looking to reappoint a national selector as part of his ongoing review of the England set-up.

Taylor was forced into retiring as a player at the age of just 26 due to a heart condition and was soon appointed as a selector under Ed Smith in 2018.

He became chief of the scouting network last year after former managing director Ashley Giles effectively sacked Smith and placed previous head coach Chris Silverwood in total control of selection.

"It has been an honour to hold the position of selector for three years and the last year as head scout," said Taylor in an ECB statement.

"I would like to thank everyone at the ECB for all their support. We have had some fantastic highlights during that period that I will remember forever. The time is right for me to explore new opportunities, and I'm excited about what lies ahead."

Key, currently in charge of England selection, paid tribute to a "great servant" of English cricket as he said: "Everyone at the ECB would like to thank James for his hard work and dedication and wish him well in the next chapter of his career."

T.Batista--PC