article: Michael Vaughan will become the most powerful man in English cricket if he is confirmed as Paul Downton’s successor at the helm of the national team. It emerged on Thursday that the former England captain has already held talks with new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison and is in pole position to become the new director of cricket ahead of Andrew Strauss and Alec Stewart. Yet Vaughan will demand almost unprecedented responsibility if he is to head up the revolution that Harrison and chairman-elect Colin Graves have begun with Wednesday’s sacking of Downton as managing director. Clearly, if the ECB are going to land the man who appears to be their first choice then they will have to make him a supremo with powers not seen since Ray Illingworth’s controversial reign in the early 1990s. Michael Vaughan has emerged as the favourite for the newly created role of director of England cricket . Vaughan was understood to be talking to the ECB about the role on Thursday after emerging as the No1 choice . The exact terms of the new position were discussed at Thursday’s meeting of the ECB management board but if the director is to be Vaughan then he will command overall responsibility for coaching and selection. Vaughan is one of the busiest men in cricket, earning close to £1million a year through his various media roles with the BBC, Sky, Channel 5 and the Daily Telegraph and his involvement with sponsors and the ISM management group. If he is to give up all of that — and it would be a clear conflict of interests if he continues his involvement in an agency that represents Stuart Broad, Joe Root and Jos Buttler — then he will want a massive salary and ultimate control of the team. On the day that both Strauss and Stewart threw their hats into the ring for the new job, one source told Sportsmail that Vaughan’s appointment was already a done deal and that he could even be unveiled before Monday’s first Test in the West Indies. Alec Stewart, who is also in the frame, stands at the KIA Oval ahead of a Surrey team photo shoot on Thursday . Vaughan and Stewart both work in the media as cricket analysts and commentators . Ultimately the decision will be taken by Harrison and particularly Graves, who is close to Vaughan and is clearly keen to implement huge and rapid change in the national team as he did at Yorkshire. The implications of the return to the England set-up of the 2005 Ashes-winning captain would be significant for the leading figures in the domestic game. If Vaughan becomes supremo then there may not even be the need for a head coach and, if the position does remain, it is impossible to envisage Peter Moores surviving even if England win their Test series against West Indies. Vaughan has been a constant critic of the coach in his second coming, saying he would be better off working with young players. There is no doubt that Graves — and Vaughan — would love Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie to succeed Moores, but convincing the Australian to throw in his lot with England will be challenging. Gillespie is happy at Headingley and with his Big Bash role with Adelaide. Vaughan, who has been an outspoken pundit, would have to build some bridges were he to take the role. Alastair Cook has often been a target of Vaughan’s sometimes inconsistent criticisms and would be on borrowed time as England captain under him unless he scores big runs and wins lots of Test matches quickly. Vaughan was particularly critical of Jonathan Trott for his departure from last year's Ashes tour of Australia . Also, Vaughan would have to provide an explanation to Jonathan Trott for his strongly-worded column on his departure from the last Ashes tour with what was eventually diagnosed as ‘situational anxiety.’ Vaughan said he felt ‘conned’ by Trott, who he accused of ‘doing a runner’ from Australia. One man who would greet Vaughan’s succession more warmly than most would undoubtedly be Kevin Pietersen, who would be handed a clear route back into the England team by the appointment of the captain he got on best with. If Pietersen scores heavily for Surrey and Vaughan is at the helm of the England team then a comeback that appeared impossible just a few months ago after the publication of his bitter autobiography really would be on. There is no doubt that if the job description had remained the same to that of Downton’s then Strauss, who said  that he would be interested in the job, would be the outstanding candidate. Andrew Strauss is another former England captain who is being considered for the role . Paul Downton lost his job as the England and Wales Cricket Board's managing director of cricket . Strauss is widely respected by the England team and management but would be far more comfortable in a suit with distance between him and the players rather than in a tracksuit at the heart of the dressing room. The apparent moving of the goalposts, with the business side of Downton’s role now disappearing, would seem to favour Vaughan over Strauss. The third man on the shortlist, Stewart, remains the outsider of the trio. These are clearly seismic times for English cricket with Graves and Harrison apparently dismantling everything created by ex-chairman Giles Clarke, who was  confirmed in a new role as ECB president. The bottom line is, with national selector James Whitaker in danger of becoming the next to follow Downton out of the door, the whole senior structure of the England team could change before this year’s Ashes. If the dominoes keep crashing down, Vaughan could be at the helm of an England team this summer with Gillespie as his coach, Joe Root as captain and Pietersen back in the team. And that, following 15 months of turmoil since the England team unravelled so dramatically by losing the Ashes 5-0, would be truly remarkable. Alec Stewart (Age 52) CURRENT JOB: Director of cricket at Surrey. SHOW US YOUR MEDALS: Played 133 Tests, more than any England cricketer. PLAYERS HE LIKES: Has established a rapport at Surrey with the out-of-favour Kevin Pietersen — says English cricket needs to be bold. REASON IT MIGHT HAPPEN: Stewart has added his name to the ring of potential candidates, and knows the job of director of cricket inside out. REASON IT MIGHT NOT: He’s only interested if there’s a clear line of accountability. May demand a say in selection. Andrew Strauss (Age 38) CURRENT JOB: Sky commentator. SHOW US YOUR MEDALS: Captained England to home-and-away Ashes triumphs. PLAYERS HE LIKES: A big fan of his former opening partner Alastair Cook, who he insists will score plenty of Test runs this summer. REASON IT MIGHT HAPPEN: Widely respected within English cricket for taking the team to the top of the Test rankings. REASON IT MIGHT NOT: Strauss is still in the early days of his career as a commentator – and is enjoying it. Michael Vaughan (Age 40) CURRENT JOB: Broadcaster and columnist. SHOW US YOUR MEDALS: Famously led England to the 2005 Ashes — and 26 Test wins overall, a national record. PLAYERS HE LIKES: Joe Root is a particular favourite — he is next in line to replace Alastair Cook as Test captain. REASON IT MIGHT HAPPEN: Vaughan is interested in the job in principle, and is close to incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves. REASON IT MIGHT NOT: He may decide he’s enjoying his media career too much to risk entering firing line.
highlights: Michael Vaughan was understood to be talking to the ECB on Thursday .
  Vaughan has emerged as favourite for new role of director of cricket .
  Paul Downton was sacked as England's managing director on Wednesday .
  Vaughan will want unprecedented responsibility if he is to take up role .
  Alec Stewart and Andrew Strauss also being considered for the role .
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