Former Kent batsman Rob Key has been named Managing Director of England Men's Cricket.
The Sky Sports pundit will relinquish his current TV role to take up to the opportunity as he bids to put English cricket back on track.
Key played 21 times for England across all formats and amassed over 28,000 first-class runs.
“It is an absolute honour to take up this role," he said. "The chance to have an impact and make a difference is an opportunity given to very few and I will give it everything I have to try shape the next great era of English Men’s cricket.
“I have absolutely loved my time at Sky and I could never have imagined leaving were it not for this incredible opportunity. I’d like to personally thank Bryan Henderson and everyone in the team for their help and support.
“Although at this current moment it has been a challenging time in English cricket, I also think it’s as exciting a time as I can remember.
"With two of our teams near or at the top of the world rankings and an undoubted amount of talent in our game, I hope to try and bring everyone along for the ride so we can all help take English Men’s cricket to new heights across all formats.”
Key will be tasked with restoring England to their former glories in the Test match arena in particular after a chastening last 12 months.
They have won just one of their last 17 fixtures in the longest format, a run which saw Joe Root resign the captaincy earlier this week after the 1-0 series defeat in the West Indies.
Key will now head up the process of replacing Root, with the first Test of the summer beginning on June 2 against New Zealand.
ECB chief Tom Harrison said: “Following a thorough recruitment process, Rob stood out in a very competitive field. His passion and knowledge of the game at domestic and international level is outstanding.
"He is a proven leader and combines an approachable nature with fresh original thinking and resilience which will stand him in good stead. He will bring a lot to the role and I am sure players and staff alike will enjoy working with Rob. I have no doubt he will relish the challenge before us.
“I’d like to thank Andrew for agreeing to step back into the role on an interim basis. To have someone of his experience and skillset during the transition and recruitment process was invaluable. He remains a huge asset to English and Welsh Cricket.”
