Daryl Mitchell has been promoted to become chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) after filling the role on an interim basis for the last six months.

Mitchell, who scored 39 first-class hundreds and captained Worcestershire, spent four years as PCA chair from 2017-21 before becoming director of cricket operations and then chief operating officer. He has served as interim chief executive since Rob Lynch stepped down to join MCC as director of cricket and operations, and has now been appointed on a permanent basis after the role was advertised publicly before Christmas.

The appointment comes at a time when the PCA is looking to mend its relationship with the ECB after a testing period, which prompted the players’ union to suggest the sense of “genuine collaboration” between the two parties had evaporated late last year. Mitchell said in a statement he will try to build “closer working relationships” with the ECB and counties in his new role.

The PCA were particularly frustrated at what they described as “a severe lack of communication and consultation” in two policy areas late last year: the new stance on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) and the split of extra money in the Hundred’s salary pot. The men’s county schedule has been another long-standing pressure point between the two parties.

“I am delighted to have been entrusted by the PCA players’ committee and the board to lead the association as the chief executive,” Mitchell said. “Representing players has been a key part of my life since I became a PCA rep in 2009.

“Evolution is the key to the future of our members and the PCA and forging even stronger relations with players is crucial to the future of our game. Being a cricketer in today’s world provides a wealth of opportunity, albeit with challenges and greater complexities than ever before for our members to navigate, both collectively and as individuals.”

Mitchell will be working with a new chair, with James Harris’ second term set to run out in February, while his previous role is now vacant. Harris was part of the interview panel for the chief executive hiring process, along with PCA president Eoin Morgan, and said Mitchell was “the standout candidate from a very strong field”.