London, Jun 9 (IANS): Former England batter James Taylor has left his role as head scout at the England and Wales Cricket Board, the ECB confirmed in a statement on Thursday.

Taylor, 32, was appointed full-time England men's team selector in July 2018 and became Head Scout in April 2021 following a restructure of England's high-performance programme. As Head Scout, he was an integral part of providing information into selection.

Commenting on the departure of Taylor, Managing Director of England men's cricket, Rob Key, said, "James Taylor has been a great servant to English cricket both as a player and an excellent administrator over the past four years. He has a deep passion for the game and is attuned to the current demands of a modern cricketer, having played with and against most of the England set-up and pathway players.

"Everyone at the ECB would like to thank James for his hard work and dedication and wish him well in the next chapter of his career."

"It has been an honour to hold the position of selector for three years and the last year as Head Scout. I would like to thank everyone at the ECB for all their support. We have had some fantastic highlights during that period that I will remember forever. The time is right for me to explore new opportunities, and I'm excited about what lies ahead," Taylor said.

Taylor was forced to retire in 2016 having been diagnosed with the heart ailment, played seven Tests and 27 ODIs for England and had a distinguished county career with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.