Ashley Giles steps down as England Managing Director after Ashes debacle

Former left-arm spinner Ashley Giles has stepped down as Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket in the wake of the team’s 0-4 drubbing during the Ashes in Australia.

Andrew Strauss will take charge of the post on an interim basis. He will look after arrangements for the upcoming West Indies tour amid the search for a full-time replacement.

England narrowly escaped a 0-5 embarrassment against Australia in the Ashes, managing to draw the Sydney Test with one wicket standing. However, the pressure was rising on Giles to quit in the wake of the team’s abysmal showing in the Test format. They were 1-2 down against India at home when the final Test was canceled due to COVID-19 last year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the news of Giles' exit with an official release. The former cricketer was appointed to the role in December 2018. Under his tenure as Managing Director, England became the 50-over world champions by winning the 2019 World Cup. They also made it to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021.

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said while speaking about the development:

“I’m extremely grateful to Ashley for his commitment and contribution to England men’s cricket over the last three years. Under his leadership the teams have scored some notable results, most memorably the dramatic victory in the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, while dealing with some of the most challenging times English cricket has ever been through. He’s highly respected throughout the game and has made a huge contribution to the ECB and England Men’s cricket.

Harrison added:

“Off the back of a disappointing men’s Ashes this winter we must ensure we put in place the conditions across our game to enable our Test team to succeed.”

England captain Joe Root was the only player from the team to score more than 300 runs during the Ashes. He ended up with 322 runs at an average of 32.20. Dawid Malan was a distant second with 244 runs at an average of 24.40.

“The past couple of years have been incredibly challenging” - Ashley Giles

Reflecting on his tenure with the ECB, Giles asserted that while the England team faced a number of challenges over the last couple of years, they were able to achieve some significant feats as well.

The 48-year-old said:

“The past couple of years have been incredibly challenging and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to deliver in the toughest of circumstances. This has undoubtedly protected the future of the game in England and Wales."

He added:

“Despite these challenges, over the past three years, we have become 50-over World Champions, the top ranked T20I side in the world, we remain 4th ranked Test team and our under 19s have just reached the World Cup final for the first time in 24 years.”

As a left-arm spinner, Giles played 54 Tests and 62 ODIs for England, claiming 143 and 55 scalps respectively.