Andrew Strauss named England's director of cricket

Former England captain Andrew Strauss was named as the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) director of cricket on Saturday.

Strauss, 38, led England to two Ashes series victories and to the top of the world test rankings before retiring in 2012.

"Andrew's breadth of ideas, his passion for England cricket and his proven leadership skills shone out," ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in a statement.

"He was an exceptional England captain, is an authoritative voice on the modern game and has a wealth of experience building successful teams.

"Andrew is also widely respected across the sporting landscape. We're delighted he's joining us at the ECB as we set out to create a new strategy for the game."

Strauss's first task will be to sack England coach Peter Moores, British media reported, and appoint a replacement before a two-test home series against New Zealand and the next Ashes battle with Australia.