England are set to appoint former Australia international Marcus North as their new national selector, according to reports. The 46-year-old has been chosen after final interviews this week and would become the first foreigner in charge of selecting the England men's team. North played 21 Tests for Australia and has been director of cricket at Durham since 2018.

North has worked alongside England Test captain Ben Stokes at Durham, making him a familiar face within the setup. He will replace Luke Wright, whose departure after more than three years was a personal decision unrelated to England's 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia. Around 80 candidates applied for the position in April.

North will join head coach Brendon McCullum, director of cricket Rob Key, and captains Stokes and Harry Brook in selecting England squads. His brief includes involvement in England Lions selection, liaising with counties and leading a team of scouts. The first Test against New Zealand begins at Lord's on 4 June.

The squad will be named in the week beginning 18 May, with an England training camp in Loughborough commencing on 25 May. In the aftermath of the heavy Ashes loss, Stokes' team are likely seeking a new opener to replace Zak Crawley, with Durham's Emilio Gay and Somerset's James Rew as leading contenders.