Luke Wright will be stepping down from his role as England men’s selector following the upcoming T20 World Cup, as announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Wright, who has been in this position for three years since taking over in November 2022, cited the desire to reduce travel and spend more time with his young family as reasons for his decision. His resignation follows England’s recent 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia.
Expressing his gratitude, Wright stated, “It has been a true honor and privilege to serve as an England Men’s Selector over the past three years. I have fully immersed myself in the role and am incredibly proud of the players we have brought through.” He acknowledged the demands of the role in terms of travel and time away from home, emphasizing that it feels like the right time to hand over responsibilities to someone else.
Wright, aged 40, retired from his professional cricket career spanning two decades with England and Sussex to take up the role of national men’s team selector. Notably, he was part of England’s victorious T20 World Cup team in 2010. Throughout his tenure as selector, England introduced new talents across formats, including Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, and Shoaib Bashir. Additionally, fast bowlers Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse received their maiden Test caps, with the latter also making his T20I debut.
Rob Key, ECB Men’s Managing Director, praised Wright’s contributions, stating, “I have absolutely loved working with Luke. His contribution to English cricket has been exceptional, and I trust his judgement as much as anyone.” Key expressed sadness at Wright’s departure and extended well wishes to him and his family for the future, confident that Wright will continue to positively impact English cricket in the future.
