Captain Eoin Morgan lauds Andrew Strauss' vision as England cricket director leaves

Rory Dollard 00:04 04/10/2018
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  • Former England captain and Director of Cricket Andre Strauss (r).

    Andrew Strauss will leave one of English cricket’s top jobs having paved the way for World Cup glory next summer, according to one-day captain Eoin Morgan.

    Strauss announced on Wednesday he would not be returning to work as the national side’s director of cricket, having been on compassionate leave for the past four months.

    His wife Ruth was diagnosed with cancer in December 2017 and the former Test captain has concluded he cannot balance his family’s needs alongside the day-to-day demands of his high-powered job.

    Next summer sees England host both their first World Cup in 20 years and an Ashes series and the 41-year-old does not feel able to devote the necessary energy to the task.

    Although he is exiting the stage earlier than hoped, having been charged with landing the country’s first major 50-over trophy when he took the job three-and-a-half years ago, there is no doubt about the impact he has had.

    Strauss took the job in the aftermath of a World Cup fiasco in 2015 and oversaw sweeping changes that have helped transform England into the top-ranked side on the planet in a format which once served solely to expose their frailties.

    That they go into this month’s five-match series against Sri Lanka as world number ones is down to positive coaching and skillful cricket but also Strauss’ early vision for the side.

    “He’s been at the forefront of it, he was incredibly instrumental in our forward thinking and planning to the position we are in at the moment,” said Morgan at the series launch in Colombo.

    “It’s easily brushed over but going back to the summer of 2015 the direction given by him to myself and Paul Farbrace – who was interim coach at time – and all the selectors was to build something to prepare for the 2019 World Cup.

    “Without that direction we wouldn’t haven been allowed the freedom to play in that manner, to know we could plan four years ahead. The absolute clarity and direction he wanted us to go was quite a big deal. He will be missed because we’re coming towards the end of the cycle that he was at the very beginning of.”

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