Tough job for Morris

Hugh Morris is determined to help England achieve their overall long-term objectives

England’s new cricket supremo Hugh Morris accepts the buck will stop with him if the national team fall short of expectations over a sustained period.

Morris, appointed by the England and Wales Cricket Board last week as the team’s managing director, identifies Ashes success and victory in a major tournament as two key objectives on his watch.

Morris is one of two ex-England batsmen - former Test captain Mike Gatting is the ‘managing director cricket partnerships’ - to be installed in a new position following recommendations from the Schofield Report, commissioned to pinpoint the failings which contributed to a 5-0 whitewash in the 2006-07 Ashes.

“The key thing that came out of the Schofield Report was trying to win the Ashes and trying to win a major tournament,” Morris recalled.

“We have to have policy in place to try to achieve (at least) one of those objectives.”

Morris is looking forward to working closely with new England coach Peter Moores - and is confident in the latter’s abilities.

“Peter is accountable for the team (performance). Over a strategic period, I am accountable,” he spelled out.

“If over a period of time things have not gone well, it is my neck.”