ECB announces departure of James Taylor from head scout role

The reorganisation of England men's coaching and selection structures has continued with the ECB announcing the departure of James Taylor from his role as head scout.

Taylor, the former England, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire batter, joined the ECB in 2018, working beneath national selector, Ed Smith. When Smith's role was made redundant in 2021, Taylor moved into the scouting role, assisting head coach, Chris Silverwood, with selection.

The arrival of Rob Key as England men's managing director has already seen a number of changes, with separate head coaches appointed for red- and white-ball cricket, and the return to selection by a panel.

Key is reportedly keen to bring back the national selector role, but is understood to be considering splitting the position by format, too. The Daily Mail last week linked former England batter Ian Bell with the job of Test selector.

"James Taylor has been a great servant to English cricket both as a player and an excellent administrator over the past four years," Key said. "He has a deep passion for the game and is attuned to the current demands of a modern cricketer, having played with and against most of the England set-up and pathway players.

"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."

Taylor, 32, was forced into retirement in 2016 after being diagnosed with the heart condition, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, having played seven Tests and 27 ODIs for England.

He said: "It has been an honour to hold the position of selector for three years and the last year as head scout.

"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."