Former England captain keen on new ECB role

Michael Vaughan has re-affirmed his interest in taking on the newly created role of director of England cricket - but only if he feels he can make a difference.

A new post has been opened after Paul Downton lost his job as the England and Wales Cricket Board's managing director of cricket yesterday, with the job title also scrapped.

Instead ECB chief executive Tom Harrison is keen to have Downton's replacement focus solely on performances, rather than administration duties, which has brought a number of former England captains into the fray.

Ashes 2005 winning skipper Vaughan is among the early frontrunners although the former Yorkshire batsman admitted in his column with the Daily Telegraph he would need to know more about the role before committing.

Vaughan, who since retirement has been a pundit and commentator for numerous media outlets, said: "It will take honesty and unity to make a change. In (incoming ECB chairman) Colin Graves and Tom Harrison we have a chance to change English cricket and admit our problems.

"Let us finally do it. Stop looking at what your own county needs and ask what is best for English cricket moving forward and what is right for the England team to sustain a proper period of success.

"For the first time since retiring six years ago I am open to a conversation with the ECB. I am passionate about English cricket. I love the game and I always want England to move forward and be successful.

"I have a vision for the game and I think I will be one of many ex-players who will be more than willing to talk to the ECB to see what exactly the role is and how much influence it will wield over the future structure of our game.

"The brief has to be wider and more powerful than Paul's to have any real impact on England."