Aussie North takes on England role for new-look Test side

The appointment of their first Australian selector, first female coach and a new-look team has made it a landmark day for England's men's cricket team as they prepare to plunge into a post-Ashes Test recovery.

Marcus North, the former Australia middle-order batter, was confirmed on Wednesday as the first foreigner ever to hold the position of England men's national team selector, and he'll be a major figure in the English game, heavily involved in choosing all squads from youth to senior Test level.

The Melbourne-born 46-year-old who played his state cricket for Western Australia turned long-time UK resident is leaving his job as director of cricket with Durham, a position he's held since 2018, to take up the chief selector role. North said it was "a tremendous honour" as he takes the reins from Luke Wright, who stepped down earlier this year.

North, who was selected ahead of high-profile English candidates like former internationals Steven Finn, Darren Gough and Nick Knight, won over the likes of England captain Ben Stokes, with whom he worked closely at Durham.

He'll be the key figure on a selection panel including Stokes, white-ball skipper Harry Brook, and managing director Rob Key, as well as England performance chiefs.

"I am excited to contribute to the continued development of the England men's teams," said North, who played 21 Tests for Australia but also batted for six counties before settling in the north of England with his family.

"Having spent the past several years working closely within the county game, I have seen first-hand the strength and depth of talent across the domestic system. 

"I'm looking forward to working closely with the counties in identifying, supporting, and selecting players who can thrive at an international level."

North will be instrumental in selecting the side to play Australia in next year's Ashes, adding he was "passionate" about shaping England's cricketing future.

Key said of his appointment: "Marcus stood out through his knowledge of the domestic game, his experience across different environments, and the relationships he has built throughout county cricket over a long period.

"He also brings international pedigree from his time playing for Australia, and we believe his experience and understanding of the player pathway and high-performance environment will be a real asset."

North's appointment came as England's new-look squad to face New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's next month was named, with opener Zak Crawley and No.3 Ollie Pope dropped and three uncapped players - opener Emilio Gay, wicketkeeper-batter James Rew and paceman Sonny Baker - drafted in.

Meanwhile, England have given Ollie Robinson a final chance to live up to his "world-class" potential, bringing back the 32-year-old following the 4-1 drubbing in Australia.

With Chris Woakes joining James Anderson and Stuart Broad into retirement, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse injured, and Jofra Archer unavailable because of T20 commitments, England's fast-bowling stocks are currently low.

Matthew Fisher, whose sole Test appearance came in 2022, was called up along with 23-year-old Sonny Baker, the third uncapped player in the squad. Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue join Robinson as the more senior pace options.

But none of those selections felt perhaps as significant as former England women's wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor taking on a landmark role with the men's team as their first female fielding coach.

Taylor, a World Cup winner in 2017 and once hailed by Adam Gilchrist as the best wicketkeeper in the world regardless of gender, has been part of the coaching set-up for a couple of years, working as an assistant coach for the Lions in Australia under Andrew Flintoff.

Key said: "She's one of the best in the business at what she does. She's been outstanding, and she's worked a lot with Andrew Flintoff and (performance director) Ed Barney. They can't speak highly enough of her."

England Test squad v New Zealand: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.