Former England and Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright has announced his retirement and been appointed England Men’s Selector, joining the group responsible for picking national men’s squads.
In the role, Wright will input into all England men’s squads and team selections from senior teams to Lions and Young Lions, sharing responsibility for selection with coaches and captains of the red and white ball teams, England Men’s Managing Director Rob Key, Performance Director Mo Bobat and Player ID Lead David Court.
Sussex have also confirmed that Wright, their former T20 captain, will retire from professional cricket after representing the side in over 400 matches across all formats.
Once he takes up the role, he will be responsible for being across all domestic cricket in the summer, will be involved in decisions on central contracts, and will work closely with Bobat, Court and the scouting network on talent identification. He will also work with the ECB science and medicine team on player availability and programming.
Key praised Wright’s “experience” and “in-depth knowledge” of country cricket as key facets he will bring to the role.
“Off the back of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup win and a successful summer for our men’s Test team, I’m delighted that Luke will be joining as England Selector,” said Key.
“With his significant experience of playing in England and overseas as well as his in-depth knowledge of county cricket, he will be an important voice in squad selection while also helping to identify the next generation of England stars.
“It’s an exciting time for England men’s cricket, but with the Ashes and the ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup next year there is a lot of hard work ahead if we are to build upon what has been an exciting year.”
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Wright described his new role as an “honour” and is excited to be involved with the huge tournaments coming up in the next year.
“It’s a huge honour and privilege to take on this role, one that I am incredibly excited about,” Wright said.
“With the Ashes and ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup next year, I can’t wait to get started and try to contribute after what has been a fantastic year for England men’s cricket.”
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Wright began his career at Leicestershire before joining Sussex in 2004 where he has played ever since.
He played more than 100 times for England between 2007 and 2014, winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2010, and has also played in overseas leagues including the Big Bash League, Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League.
Wright also represented Sussex in over 400 matches for the club across all formats, accumulating over 16,000 runs and 30 centuries, cementing himself as the highest scorer in T20 Blast history with 5,026 runs for the Sharks.
Reflecting on his time at Sussex, Wright added: “A huge thank you to Sussex for the most incredible 19 seasons at the club. I am very proud of what I achieved individually and as a team during my time.
“I would like to thank everyone connected to the club for the support I’ve had ever since moving here. I gave my everything and I hope that showed on the pitch.
“I would also like to thank my friends and family for the love, support and sacrifices they gave to make my career possible.
“And finally, my brother Ashley who has been my batting coach from start to finish.
“I will always be a Sussex fan.”
Wright is currently coaching with Auckland Cricket and will finish his time there before starting the England Selector role at the end of March, ready for the start of the English season.