Darren Gough lost the England national selector job to Marcus North, an Australian. Now he is making clear he thinks that was the wrong call.
Gough, who played 58 Tests for England across a 12-year international career, was one of the candidates interviewed for the position before it went to North, who has served as director of cricket at Durham since 2018. North played 21 Tests for Australia and joins a selection panel that already includes head coach Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand captain.
"This is a hard role because there's a lot of repair job to be done," Gough told the Stick to Cricket podcast. "They're saying they are trying to bring England cricket and county cricket closer together – I don't think they are because we've got a Kiwi coach and we've now got an Australian selector. I don't think that's brought the game closer to the county game at all. I do think there's a big, big repair job there."
England director of cricket Rob Key reportedly told Gough that North was a safer option for the role. Gough pushed back on that explanation. "He's Australian – that's not a safer option, is it?" Gough said. "Key didn't think I'd enjoy the role, which I didn't agree with either because I wouldn't have gone for that role. I love the sport and I'm into data and writing. I write a lot and watch a lot of cricket."
Gough also questioned North's suitability based on his current workload at Durham. "I would say as director of cricket at Durham he doesn't watch as much cricket as he probably should," he said.
The full selection panel now includes North, McCullum, Key, captains Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, head of player identification David Court, and performance director Ed Barney.
North, 46, has ties to English cricket beyond his playing career. He played county cricket for six different teams, has an English wife, and worked in the club game for South Northumberland before taking the Durham job. Durham head coach Ryan Campbell, also an Australian, defended the appointment to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "England cricket have made an unbelievably good choice," Campbell said. "He will test Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes and Rob Key and will ask the right questions. He will be unbelievable."
Gough, now 55, also weighed in on another finalist for the job, former England fast bowler Steven Finn. Finn, 37, currently works as a Test Match Special broadcaster and sits on the board of his former county Middlesex. "For this role, I don't think he should have even got an interview," Gough said. "No management skills, no coaching skills. I don't think he should have been anywhere near an interview."
The criticism from Gough adds to a broader debate in English cricket about how closely aligned the national program is with the county system that produces its players.
