The former England managing director Ashley Giles is expected to make a return to cricket after more than a year away as chief executive at Worcestershire.
Giles left the England and Wales Cricket Board early last year as part of an overhaul of backroom and administrative staff following a disastrous 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, and has been in the cricketing wilderness since.
It is understood that Giles, part of England’s legendary Ashes winning side from 2005, has been recruited as CEO of Worcestershire, a role which has been vacant for some time, with chairman Fanos Hira wearing a number of hats at the club.
There had been speculation that Giles could join Worcestershire as director of cricket (another role that does not currently exist at the club) last year, or fill the same role at his former county Warwickshire. But that talk fizzled out, with New Zealander Gavin Larsen preferred at Edgbaston.
The role of CEO at Worcestershire looks a good fit for Giles on a number of levels. He lives in the county and the lack of a director of cricket – former player Paul Pridgeon stepped down as chair of the club’s cricket steering group – would appear to allow him to get involved with the on-field side of the club as well as commercial work off field.
Giles has had a difficult 18 months. As well as leaving the job he had held with England since 2019, he lost his mother, opening up about it on the Telegraph’s Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast last summer.
Since playing his last professional game on the Ashes tour of 2006-07, Giles has had a varied career in cricket administration, working as director of cricket for both Warwickshire and Lancashire, and for England, first as white-ball head coach, then managing director of men’s cricket. Giles has a masters degree in sports directorship from Manchester Metropolitan University and has also served on the board at England Netball.
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