Western Australia look up North to captain

Marcus North has succeeded Justin Langer as captain of Western Australia and will have Adam Voges as his deputy for 2007-08. Langer remains firmly in the state's plans after retiring from Tests last summer, but Tom Moody, the new coach, said the appointments represented a "changing of the guard" in Perth.

The state has undergone significant playing, coaching and administrative moves in the past year, including attracting Moody and his assistant Trevor Penney from Sri Lanka. "Both Marcus and Adam are outstanding leaders and will be determined to take the Warriors to new heights," Moody said.

"Marcus has earned the right to take on the captaincy on a full-time basis after doing a terrific job in an interim capacity last summer. He has always displayed exemplary qualities as a leader and is admired and respected by his team-mates."

North, the left-hander who has scored 4787 runs at 44.74 for Western Australia, said he hoped to restore the team to "its rightful place at the forefront of Australian cricket" after eight years without a Pura Cup trophy. "It is always a dream to captain your state," he said, "and this is an opportunity that I will cherish greatly."

His first major appointment will be a pre-season tour to India in September before Western Australia's first domestic fixture the following month. Voges' elevation to the leadership ranks comes after a strong 2006-07 season that ended in him debuting in Australia's one-day team and gaining a national contract.