Graham Thorpe takes ECB lead batting coach role

Thorpe's Test career finished just before the 2005 Ashes series

The England and Wales Cricket Board has appointed former Test star Graham Thorpe as national lead batting coach.

He takes over the position from Dene Hills, who leaves after two years to return to Australia to take up a position with Cricket Australia.

Hills had worked closely with players on the England performance programme.

Former England captain Graham Gooch is expected to remain as coach to the first-team batsmen during this winter's Ashes series in Australia.

Thorpe, 41, scored 6,744 runs at 44.66 in 100 Tests for England and spent 18 years as a first-class cricketer with Surrey before moving to Sydney in 2005-06 to coach New South Wales.

606: DEBATE He was a fantastic batsmen and is well respected which should help gain respect of promising talent but does that make a good coach? Clotted Cottage Cream

In 2009 he returned to Surrey to take up the position of batting coach at The Oval, and also coached the England Lions batsmen on their tour of the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.

The ECB has confirmed Thorpe's first task will be to work with the England performance programme squad on their forthcoming five-week long training camp in Australia.

ECB performance director David Parsons said: "Graham was very impressive this winter when he worked with England Lions in the UAE and both the players and management team held him in extremely high regard. We are very pleased to be welcoming him on a full time basis."

Thorpe said: "It will be hard to leave Surrey but this is a fantastic opportunity for me to help prepare the next generation of England batsmen."