Fraser in running for selector's role

Angus Fraser has emerged as a contender to become an England selector following the retirement of Geoff Miller.

Fraser, the former England seamer, would continue in his role as director of cricket at Middlesex if appointed. "I will be applying for the part-time selector position and would combine it with my current job," Fraser told ESPNcricinfo.

Fraser's desire to combine both roles might count against him. While Ashley Giles held the role of selector and director of cricket at Warwickshire at the same time, it was a controversial situation and was the cause of regular complaints over a potential conflict of interest.

Miller, who retired as England's chief selector with James Whitaker stepping up to take the senior role, has stated that, in an ideal world, selectors should have neither a direct and current association with a county or a role within the media.

Other candidates for the position are believed to include former Somerset and England batsman Brian Rose, who has held off-field roles at Somerset and is currently with Glamorgan, and former England and Middlesex off-spinner John Emburey. Chris Adams, the former Surrey director of cricket, has also confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he has applied for the role.

Consideration has also been given to inviting Marcus Trescothick to apply for the role. Trescothick has been reappointed as Somerset's captain in 2014 and has no immediate plans for retirement.

Geoff Cook is another appealing possibility. Cook, Durham's director of cricket, suffered a heart attack midway through last season and, although he was restored to his old self by the time Durham won their third Championship in five years, he was stripped of his first-team responsibilities in November and given a broader role supervising the county's development of young players. Cook, despite his health scare, has not lost his appetite to be involved at the highest level and it remains to be seen whether that role can be designed to his satisfaction.

Certainly, Cook's ability to create a winning, yet relaxed, environment has been proven over the past decade and, if the ECB decided to pursue their interest and offer him a selector's role, he would be highly respected by the counties.