London [UK], May 13 (ANI): Former Australia batter Marcus North has been appointed as England Men's new national selector, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday, ending a lengthy search to replace outgoing selector Luke Wright.

North, currently serving as director of cricket at Durham County Cricket Club, will officially take over the role ahead of England's first Test against New Zealand at Lord's Cricket Ground beginning on June 4.

The 46-year-old former Australian left-handed batter played 21 Tests and two One-Day Internationals for Australia, scoring five Test centuries, including two during the 2009 Ashes series against England.

North has been part of the county circuit for several years and has led Durham's cricket operations since 2018.

In his new role, he will work closely with England Men's team management across formats, including managing director Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum, Test captain Ben Stokes and white-ball captain Harry Brook.

His responsibilities will include overseeing domestic talent identification, coordinating with the county scouting structure, contributing to central contract decisions and managing player workload and availability alongside the ECB's medical and performance departments.

Speaking after his appointment, North described the role as 'a tremendous honour' and expressed excitement about helping shape the future of England's men's teams.

'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,' North told ECB.

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

He also thanked Durham for their support during his eight-year tenure at the club.

ECB managing director Rob Key said North emerged as the standout candidate following a 'thorough and rigorous' recruitment process.

'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 of time,' Key said.

'He also brings an 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 to England Men's cricket,' he concluded. (ANI)