Ed Smith’s tenure ends as a national selector as the role is made redundant. Ed Smith is to leave the ECB with almost immediate effect after the decision was made public.
Ed Smith, who was appointed as national selector three years ago to the day, has been squeezed out after a restructure of the selection process by Ashley Giles, the managing director of England’s men’s cricket. Chris Silverwood assumes responsibility with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan alongside him.
Ed Smith’s Input Has Helped Deliver Success For England: Ashley Giles
Under the new structure, the head coach, Chris Silverwood, will have responsibility for squad selections as well. He and the team captains, Joe Root in Tests and Eoin Morgan in the limited-overs formats will then decide on the final XI together.
Chris Silverwood has now a bigger job to combine his role as coach and selector. England’s relentless packed schedule provides him with little time to watch county or domestic cricket, though the ECB has previously said he may not need to be with the senior sides at all times.
He will, however, have some assistance in the form of James Taylor who keeps his job, though its title will change from ‘England selector’ to ‘head scout’, while Mo Bobat, the performance director, will also provide necessary inputs. Information from performance analysis and scouting is likely to become more important.
“I would like to personally thank Ed for his contribution to the England men’s teams over the past three years,” Giles said. “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 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.”
On the face of things, Ed Smith is the victim of a restructuring that no longer has the necessity for his role. It may be relevant, however, that the relationship between Ed Smith and some members within the England set-up has not been in terms for quite some time. Some felt he attempted to interfere in team (rather than squad) selection, which has traditionally been the preserve of the captain and coach. Several players were understood to have taken a personal dislike to him.
Ed Smith Excited About Watching England’s Continued Development
The turning point for Ed Smith’s tenure came in the Barbados Test of January 2019 when pacer Stuart Broad was left out for Sam Curran and England lost heavily. Some felt Ed Smith has exerted a surprising amount of pressure over the final selection.
There have been successes under Ed Smith’s watch. Jos Buttler’s return to the Test team has, in general, been well received, while his willingness to back young players such as Sam Curran and Dom Bess has refreshed the England side. Negatives include picking Jason Roy as an opener for the Ashes, asking Ollie Pope to bat at No. 4 in his first incarnation in the team, and the apparent shunning of Moeen Ali.
“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,” Smith said.
“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 significant 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.”
While Ed Smith, somewhat surprisingly selected for the first-place job by Ashley Giles’ predecessor Andrew Strauss, leaves a decorated spell at the end of the month that includes a First World Cup title in 2019 and a number one ranking in both white-ball formats.
However, there has been a lot of resentment in recent months over the decision to rotate and rest players in the England Test team in India tour as the visitors suffered a 3-1 loss.
Ed Smith’s departure alongside the removal of the national selector role also comes at a time when the England and Wales Cricket Board is looking to save money following Covid-related losses in excess of £100m last year that forced the governing body to make 62 other jobs redundant.