Rob Key is reportedly the frontrunner to become England 's new managing director, with Marcus North 'no longer in the running'.
Ashley Giles left the role in February following England's humiliating 4-0 defeat by Australia in the Ashes, with Sir Andrew Strauss filling in on an interim basis. England have been searching for a permanent replacement ever since, with whoever gets the role being tasked with appointing a new head coach.
Several names have been linked with the job, including Key and North. Now, according to a report from the Times, Key is 'looking increasingly likely' to become Giles' replacement and his appointment 'could be announced by the end of the month'.
Key, who earned 15 Test caps for England, has worked as a commentator and pundit with Sky Sports since his retirement in 2015. The 42-year-old previously confirmed his interest in the role when asked about it, saying: "There's a lot of speculation around, there's a lot of jobs up for grabs in English cricket. A fair few people have been asked, a fair few people are going for these jobs."
North, meanwhile, had previously been considered the favourite for the job, given his experience as an international cricketer and the fact he has been Durham's director of cricket since 2018. However, the Australian is now said to have withdrawn from the running, leaving Key as the frontrunner.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain previously backed his Sky Sports colleague to get the job, writing in the Daily Mail : "He always speaks sense - off the camera as well as on it. He won't do fancy PowerPoint presentations or use management speak, but he has the ear of the players and he understands what they have to deal with.
"Often, he will come off a commentary stint and get a couple of messages from county players saying 'thanks for appreciating what we're going through'. I think it also helps that he has young kids who play the game; he understands it from the bottom up."
Kevin Pietersen has also touted Key as the "perfect" candidate for the job, telling Betway : "I think that Rob Key, who has been linked with the role, would be perfect for it. Knowing him as I do, particularly from sitting around the commentary box with him, he has a very good cricketing brain and deals with people very well.
"He understands situations and I think he would be a very smart operator. Everybody knows my views on the structure of English cricket and how it needs to change. I believe Rob Key would be willing to make the big decisions and has a clear idea of what cricket should look like in this country."
