Ashley Giles will replace former team-mate Andrew Strauss as the new director of England cricket, according to reports.

The England and Wales cricket Board has been searching for a replacement for Strauss, who quit the job in October in order to spend more time with his family.

A number of candidates have been mentioned, including Strauss’ predecessor, Andy Flower, but reports on Thursday suggested Giles had got the nod with a formal announcement to follow.

If so, it will complete an England hat-trick for the 45-year-old, who occupies a similar role with Warwickshire.

It would mean he has represented England as a player, a coach and an administrator.

He won 54 Test caps for England, including famously lifting the Ashes urn in 2005, while he played in 62 one-day internationals.

Giles coached England’s limited-overs side for 18 months, reaching the 2013 Champions Trophy final, while he has also enjoyed success as a coach with Warwickshire and Lancashire.