The England and Wales Cricket Board have appointed former England fly-half Rob Andrew as their new professional game managing director, making him responsible for "growing and nurturing" men's and women's domestic cricket.
Andrew was capped 71 times by the England rugby union team and went on the 1989 and 1993 Lions tours before transitioning into cricket as he took up the role of Sussex's chief executive in November 2016.
He has been repeatedly criticised by former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who labelled Andrew's impending departure from Sussex as the "best thing" to happen in a "long time".
Andrew has been appointed to a newly-created role at the ECB of "managing director, professional game", charged with overseeing engagement with the first-class counties and women's regional teams.
He said: "I am delighted to be joining the ECB at such an exciting time for cricket, and in particular such an exciting time for the professional men's and women's game.
"We all know the landscape for cricket both domestically and internationally has never been more complex, but equally there has never been more interest in the game and collectively we have the chance to build a sustainable future.
"My seven years at Sussex have given me a great insight into the landscape of professional cricket in this country, both men's and women's.
"From a men's cricket point of view, we must cherish the red-ball game in this country and help all 18 counties develop Test players of the future while also finding the right balance with the demands of white-ball cricket, both here and in the franchise world.
"Equally, the opportunities to take the women's game forward are immense and working together with all partners will be critical to getting this right."
Andrew's appointment replaces the role of "managing director, county cricket" which was filled by Neil Snowball, who will now become MD of competitions and major events as part of an ECB restructure.
While Andrew has balanced the books at Sussex – they boasted a profit of nearly £500,000 in 2022 – they did not win a trophy in his tenure and there have been a number of high-profile departures in the last couple of years, including England duo Phil Salt and Chris Jordan.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: "It's fantastic that we've been able to bring Rob Andrew on board into such an important role.
"The relationship between the ECB and the first-class counties is of paramount importance, and the way in which we're able to support the men's and women's professional game is one of our major priorities.
"To bring in someone with the skills and the background of Rob is of huge benefit to us and the entire game, and we look forward to seeing how he adds value and contributes to the future direction and success of the ECB on all business matters."
