Chris Tremlett: Natural leader Andrew Strauss leaves ECB with a modern blueprint ahead of a crucial year
Andrew Strauss stepping down as England’s director of cricket is a shame, but family comes first and he leaves knowing what he’s achieved.
The move has been ongoing over the summer with Andy Flower covering for him while his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer.
That’s his priority at the moment, so it has probably been hard to concentrate on a role at the England and Wales Cricket Board which comes with such responsibility.
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Strauss has obviously come to the point where he thinks it’s right to hand over the reins to someone else and balance out his time to be at home more with his wife and kids.
He has done a good job. The former opening batsman and captain has offered a more modern look to cricket, acting as a counter-balance to the more traditional voices at the top of the ECB.
It’s certainly been beneficial to have someone of a younger age who was fresh out of the game in such a big role. The sport is always moving forward and a younger set of eyes has helped the ECB move with the times more.
Andrew Strauss helped the ECB keep a modern focus, working with chairman Colin Graves (Source: Getty)
Strauss was immediately faced with difficulties at the start of his three and a half years in charge, with the Kevin Pietersen saga rumbling. That was eventually dealt with and he managed to move on well.
On reflection his main legacy will be the improvements in England’s one-day team, which has gone to new levels under captain Eoin Morgan and coach Trevor Bayliss.
When Strauss took over in 2015 England had just been dumped out of the World Cup group stages. The turnaround has been stark.
Eoin Morgan has credited Andrew Strauss with England's improvement in one-day cricket (Source: Getty)
I’m sure he will take pride in his involvement there and will be hoping England can translate their No1 world ranking into a World Cup win on home soil this summer. It’s a huge chance to do so.
Coming out of the game, having achieved so much as captain, he always maintained respect from the current players. People like Alastair Cook, James Anderson and Stuart Broad played under his captaincy and know him well.
Strauss is a very good leader of people and I’m sure everyone felt comfortable with him in charge. His qualities as a captain set him up well for his role at the top of the ECB.
Andrew Strauss leaves his role having set a positive influence (Source: Getty)
He has taken on a “flexible” role and I’m sure he will remain influential in the set-up and hopefully his wife Ruth can recover and he can return in the future.
With Strauss having set a solid precedent, I think the ECB should be looking for someone of a similar nature to take things forward.
There is a lot of responsibility to consider on the horizon, with a home World Cup and Ashes series and the ongoing expensive development of the Hundred. There are some big decisions to be made.
Having Strauss help in finding a successor is important, as dealing with the pressure and scrutiny the job brings will be a key component.