Marcus North appointed as Durham director

Durham County Cricket Club (DCCC) has appointed former Australian batsman Marcus North as the new cricket director of the team.

The move came after former director Geoff Cook announced his retirement from the post after serving the club for 27 years.

North, who had played for Durham in 2004 as an overseas player, said that he is excited to be back with the team and further assured that he would work towards developing a successful squad.

"I'm excited to have been given the opportunity to come back to Durham. International and first-class Cricket has been a major part of my life and this role allows me to utilise my experience and skills in a different capacity. With the season concluding next week, it is the perfect time to review current strategies," ESPNcricinfo.com quoted North, as saying.

"It is paramount we create an environment that challenges and supports this squad, in delivering progression and consistent performances in all forms of the game, to ensure we develop a successful squad that we are proud of," he added.

Reflecting on North's role in the team, Durham's chief executive Tim Bostock said that he would oversee the activities like cricket, recruitment and contracts which would help to create a high-performance culture in the squad.

"Marcus' role will oversee all cricket activities, recruitment, contracts, players, scouting and developments together with the support functions, which all contribute towards creating a high-performance culture at Durham in the future," Bostock said.

Internationally, North has played a total of 21 Tests for Australia scoring 1171 runs with an average of 35.48.