Portugal Colonial - Australia's North savours 'tremendous honour' of England role

North, the outgoing director of cricket at English county Durham, now has a larger brief and potentially greater influence than Luke Wright, who stepped down from the role earlier this year.

The 46-year-old North, also an occasional off-spinner in his playing days, saw off competition for the post from former England internationals Steven Finn, Darren Gough and Nick Knight.

His close links to the county game undoubtedly bolstered his case, with North in post at Durham -- the club of England captain Ben Stokes -- for eight years.

He now joins a panel that includes Stokes, white-ball skipper Harry Brook and managing director Rob Key as well as England performance chiefs.

"It is a tremendous honour to be entrusted with a role of such responsibility and I am excited to contribute to the continued development of the England men’s teams," said North.

"Having spent the past several years working closely within the county game, I have seen first-hand the strength and depth of talent across the domestic system.

"I'm looking forward to working closely with the counties in identifying, supporting and selecting players who can thrive at international level."

North, now in line to help select a side to play his native Australia during next year's Ashes series in England, added: "The opportunity to help shape the future of England men's teams is one I'm incredibly passionate about."

North's appointment was announced on the same day England named their squad for next month's first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, with Key saying: "Marcus stood out through his knowledge of the domestic game, his experience across different environments and the relationships he has built throughout county cricket over a long period of time.

"Marcus also brings international pedigree from his time playing for Australia, and we believe his experience and understanding of the player pathway and high performance environment will be a real asset."

T.Vitorino--PC