Former spinner Ashley Giles to replace Andrew Strauss as managing director of England men's cricket

Former English spinner Ashley Giles has been appointed as the new managing director of England men's cricket by the England and Wales Cricket Board as a replacement for Andrew Strauss. 

Giles who is also involved in the role of the sports director with Warwickshire, has been handed the responsibility of building the management and coaching structure for supporting the English men's cricket teams across all formats of the game. 

The spinner represented England in 54 Tests before being later involved as a national selector for six years from 2008-14. 

"I am delighted to be joining the ECB and shaping the future of England cricket throughout the men's game," said the 45-year-old in a statement.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity and excited about working with some talented people. The legacy left by Andrew Strauss has put the performance programme in a stable place," Giles added. 

The decision to appoint Giles has been taken following a month-long recruitment process which was led by the ECB's chief executive Tom Harrison. 

"Ashley was the standout candidate amongst a very strong field," said Harrison.

"He will bring a fresh perspective to the role and build on the excellent work carried out by Andrew Strauss over the past three-and-a-half years," Harrison concluded. 

Former English skipper Andrew Strauss recently stepped down from his role in October after expressing his desire to support his wife Ruth during her battle against cancer.