Hugh Morris steps into ECB hot seat

The former Glamorgan and England batsman, Hugh Morris, has agreed to step in as acting chief executive of the England & Wales Cricket Board, following the departure of Tim Lamb.

Morris, 40, was a pugnacious opening batsman who was unlucky to play just three Tests in his 16-year career. He made a belated debut against West Indies at Edgbaston in 1991, and went on to play a vital innings of 44 in his second match at The Oval, which went a long way towards securing England's series-levelling victory.

Lamb, who announced he would be stepping down earlier in the summer, served seven-and-a-half years in the post, and vacates his desk at the end of the month. Morris's first day in the job will be October 1, and he will continue in the role until a permanent replacement is chosen.

A large factor in Lamb's demise was his loss of support among the counties, an aspect of the day-to-day running that Morris, as a former county captain, should be well prepared to cope with. He will be working alongside the chairman, David Morgan, who was last week unopposed in his re-election for another two years.

The ECB's interests on the International Cricket Council will be represented by John Carr, the director of cricket operations.