James Whitaker

John James Whitaker (born 5 May 1962) is an English former cricketer, who played in one Test and two ODIs for England in 1986–7.

Life and career Whitaker was educated at Uppingham School and spent his whole career with Leicestershire County Cricket Club, and captained them from 1996 until he retired in 1999. In 1986, Whitaker was the leading English batsman in the national batting averages with 1,526 runs at 66 apiece, He was selected to go on the 1986-87 Ashes tour. He started the tour well, scoring a hundred against South Australia in a tour match, and played one Test in Adelaide when Ian Botham was out injured. However, his form fell away sharply. and also making his highest first-class score, 218, that year, in a match against Yorkshire. Whitaker also started the 1998 season, when Leicestershire also emerged as county champions, as captain, although he played little that season due to injury, the team being led on the field by Chris Lewis and Phil Simmons.

He later became the coach and director of cricket at the club, before leaving in 2005. On 18 January 2008, Geoff Miller took over from David Graveney as the national selector, heading up a four-man panel which included Peter Moores, Whitaker and Ashley Giles. He was England's chairman of selectors from 2013 to 2018.