Mo Bobat appointed ECB performance director

The former PE teacher will work closely with England coach Chris Silverwood and national selector Ed Smith in a bid to improve the team's fortunes

Mo Bobat has been installed as the ECB's new performance director for the England men's team.

The 36-year-old former PE teacher has been promoted from his role as Player Identification Lead and succeeds David Parsons, who left the position in July.

Bobat will operate alongside new men's head coach Chris Silverwood and national selector Ed Smith to ensure the team are performing across all formats.

"I am looking forward to working closely with both Chris Silverwood and Ed Smith, and in doing so, supporting the performance needs of our England teams and moving us closer to achieving our aim of being the most respected team in the world," he said.

"Developing strong relationships with our counties to enhance the size and quality of our talent pool will be paramount. I aim to ensure that our highest potential players receive individualised support and international-specific experiences.

"It is a hugely exciting role and the vision is that the strength of our counties and our high-performance system delivers deliberate and sustained success across all formats."

The appointment comes just days after Silverwood, 44, was promoted from his role as bowling coach to succeed Trevor Bayliss as head coach.

^{National selector Ed Smith and director of men's cricket Ashley Giles will be among those working with Mo Bobat}

England have endured a contrasting summer, with their maiden 50-over World Cup success followed by a failure to reclaim the Ashes from Australia.

As well as eight years with the ECB in a variety of positions, Bobat brings a level four coaching certificate to the role. His most recent job as Player Identification Lead saw him outline a selection structure for all men's teams.

Ashley Giles, managing director of England men's cricket, added: "The position of Performance Director is a critical post in the development of our long-term strategy for elite performance. Mo demonstrated through his knowledge and experience that he has the attributes to take us forward in this area.

"He will be responsible for identifying our highest potential players and leading programmes that will bridge the gap between county and international cricket helping us to deliver successful, respected and inspiring England players and teams.

"The Performance Director will work closely with our network of counties to enhance the size and quality of our talent pool and ensuring that we’re jointly making decisions in each player’s best long-term interests.

"We have to develop a long-term strategy that identifies the best players in the country that can step up and excel in the international cricket arena. We will expose them to learn and perform in all conditions around the world."