The England management had to choose the best person for the job as national selector.
Marcus North is a good appointment. He has played for six counties, knows the grass-roots game from his time with South Shields Cricket Club and worked as director of cricket at Durham for the past eight years.
He knows the players across our game because he is always looking to sign new talent at Durham. North will also be well versed in the international scene through his search for overseas players. England have picked someone with knowledge and experience of trying to spot the best talent. He will bring more to the set-up than just being a chairman of selectors.
England have to remember selection was not the reason they lost the Ashes. It was about how they played, about their preparation and style of cricket.
It is clear to me that Rob Key and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have gone away from who Brendon McCullum wanted as selector. I think that is a good sign.
It looks like Ben Stokes now has someone next to him that he wants. Stokes has worked with North at Durham and will support him. It would also not surprise me if North stepped into Key’s shoes in the future.
The only disappointment and worry for our game is that once again we have appointed someone from overseas to an important role with England. The head coach is a Kiwi, most of his backroom team are from New Zealand as well and there is only one English head coach in the Hundred.
We are a nation that talks down our own people far too often. In Australia they talk themselves up and that is why there are so many Aussies in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or coaching and playing across the world. They are very good at their jobs as well, but I cannot believe our game cannot produce more than one head coach in the Hundred.
That competition is ideal grounding for a top job in international cricket. Our system takes away the opportunity to coach in the IPL and Pakistan Super League – two of the leading franchise competitions – because they clash with our schedule. It is hard for English coaches to break out and gain experience around the world.
County cricket is a hard school. Coaches must contend with different formats across a short period, managing a large group of players and I wonder whether they have the chance to do much coaching.
The argument, and it is persuasive, is that over the past 20 years we have had success with overseas coaches: Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower, both from Zimbabwe, won Ashes series while Australia’s Trevor Bayliss led England to the World Cup.
But the worry is we do not see enough coaching talent emerging to challenge McCullum or be in a position to take over when he goes. Something has to be done about that.
For example, I find it remarkable that Richard Dawson, a fantastic coach at Glamorgan, does not have a gig in the Hundred. He should be taking on one of those roles, so he gets a chance to learn more about working with international players.
England have had a decent break since the Ashes and plenty of time to decide how they are going to play cricket. What is the DNA of the team? What is their philosophy?
I do not think Test cricket has moved on so much that you do not want a team to score 450-500 runs and bat 140 overs. That is what you do to win. Then bowling maidens to restrict the opposition is still the way to play.
Consistent, high-quality bowling for long periods is essential. Patience and adaptability are two things England have struggled with but need to resolve.
They needed a new opening batsman and Emilio Gay has earned his chance. Looking at the squad, my only question is whether they have picked the best spinners in England. Are Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir the best two at the moment? Not at this stage. They could be in the future and I like the fact that Bashir has gone to Derbyshire and is bowling lots of overs.
England management believe that they can improve by being around the group, but the fact is the top seven have to score the runs. Do not pick Rehan just because he can bat as well.
Personally, I think that if you have a batting order with Jamie Smith at No 7 and quick bowlers like Gus Atkinson or Ollie Robinson who can bat then you do not need to pick a spinner to add depth to that order.
I have written about McCullum not arriving here until the end of May before. I am surprised he did not change his mind and watch the last couple of rounds of Championship cricket.
I look at Zak Crawley and think he needed a lot of help. I would want to be around him right now if I were head coach. McCullum put a lot of faith in Crawley, but where was he when the lad was struggling and has now been dropped?
It would also be useful to be around the county game speaking to people. A lot of important time has been lost and I’m amazed England did not demand McCullum be here. He is on a lot of money and he has had three months off.
As for Crawley, in his shoes I would be looking for a new role. Go and bat at No 5 to give himself a chance. He plays spin well, and it might give him a boost to have a new role and face the older ball.
He could still be a white-ball opener. Do you have to be a red-ball opener all your life? No, you can change.