England selection restructure gives head coach Chris Silverwood overall say as Ed Smith leaves ECB after three years

Silverwood - in a major departure from the committee process which has been at the heart of picking England men's squads for generations - will now take on a role much like the England national football manager Gareth Southgate

England men's selector Ed Smith will leave his post at the end of the month, with selection for the national side now set to be determined by head coach Chris Silverwood.

Three years to the day since Smith was confirmed as the ECB's national selector, it has been announced that he will no longer be a part of the decision-making process.

England selector James Taylor will move into a new role as head scout and both he and men's national performance director Mo Bobat will give input into squad selections, starting with the party which will take on New Zealand in two Tests from June 2. 

However, Silverwood - in a major departure from the committee process which has been at the heart of picking England men's squads for generations - will now take on a role much like the England national football manager, with overall say over who is and is not chosen for each squad.

The last instance of a single person holding similar control over selection - Ray Illingworth in the mid to late 1990s - did not last long nor end up particularly profitable.

Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, the Test and white-ball captains, will contribute to team selections by advising Silverwood. However, Silverwood will have the final say.

^{Ed Smith, right, with England Test captain Joe Root last summer}

Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men's cricket, is at the heart of the restructure. The shift in system, he believes, is "in the best interests of helping England men's teams be successful".

In the ECB statement, Giles was quoted as saying: "I would like to personally thank Ed for his contribution to the England men's teams over the past three years. Ed's input has helped deliver successes for all our England Teams, and he has worked with commitment and professionalism throughout his time as national selector. I wish him well in his future endeavours.

"The current process of selecting England teams has been in place for over 120 years. Even though this system has its merits, with advances in technology and a greater information gathering resource at our disposal than ever before, the restructure is in the best interests of helping England men's teams be successful.

"The new structure also makes lines of accountability much clearer, with Chris Silverwood, as head coach, taking ultimate responsibility for picking England senior men's squads."

Smith was responsible for several unconventional selections during his time in charge, including the returns of Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid to white-ball cricket.

During his tenure as national selector, England won 21 of 37 Test matches, 29 of 48 ODIs and 19 of 31 T20Is. They claimed the World Cup for the first time at Lord's in July 2019.

Silverwood was appointed to the head coach role in October 2019, succeeding Trevor Bayliss. He had previously been bowling coach in the national setup, having been in charge of Essex in county cricket.

^{Chris Silverwood, left, and England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan}

The 46-year-old will be advised by his coaching team as part of the new structure. 

Last month, the ECB confirmed that Marcus Trescothick, Jon Lewis and Jeetan Patel had all been contracted to full-time roles with the senior men's team.

The ECB also say that "a resource" which provides information on "performance analysis, talent ID, scouting, medical and sports science" will be available to Silverwood and his team. England coaches have been able to access the live data of players across the county network for some time, but this is expected to be extended under the new arrangement.

The fact that every county game is now available for the general public to view via YouTube streams is also believed to be a contributing factor to the decision to switch from a committee decision to a manager-type role, which falls in line with both the England football structure and the England Rugby side.

Smith, whose role within the ECB decision hierarchy was a magnate for debate, said: "It has been a huge privilege to work with great people trying to help England cricket and I am excited about watching England's continued development.

"I've been very lucky to work with James Taylor, and I'm delighted that he will remain part of the new structure. My thanks to the dedicated team of scouts and to all the coaches, data analysts, medics and members of the ECB Pathway, who are available every day of the year at all hours to help England's decision-makers.

"England's two captains, Joe and Eoin, have already completed remarkable achievements in an England shirt. England has two men dedicated to playing cricket in a way that makes the country proud. The role of national selector has been enjoyable and rewarding, and that is significantly due to my interaction with all of the England players. 

"At such a high point for England cricket, I wish Ashley Giles, the coaches and all support staff good fortune over the coming months. I know how hard Ashley and his team work for England cricket. In particular, I'd like to wish Chris Silverwood good luck and every success going forward."

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