MARCUS NORTH doesn’t feel handing the Durham Cricket coaching responsibility to James Franklin is a risk.

Indeed, the club’s director of cricket believes appointing the former New Zealand all-rounder as head coach now will be more straight forward than trying to secure his services in the future.

Franklin took charge at Emirates Riverside this week, in effect replacing Jon Lewis as the club’s coaching structure has been revamped under the former Australia opening bat.

He comes fresh from a stint assisting Daniel Vettori in the Big Bash with Brisbane Heat, but this is the first time he’s taken sole charge of a team.

Durham could have gone down the tried and tested route and opted for a coach with a track record.

Instead, North wanted someone new with ambition and fresh ideas.

“I don’t think it’s any more of a gamble than getting someone who’s got years of experience coaching,’’ he admitted.

“I think it comes down to the experience I’ve had in the professional game to make those judgement calls. The one thing I’ve learnt over my career as a player is that I’ve come across some fantastic coaches who are only in their first year of coaching and others who have been coaches for ten years and in my opinion haven’t been as good as others so it’s about taking the opportunity when it presents itself.

“James is not long out of the game and we’ve had a number of discussions to understand his philosophy and his coaching style and what makes him as a person.

“I have to gauge because of my experience of dealing with coaches who I think is going to make a really good coach and it’s exciting getting James at the start of his journey but I’d rather get him now and him being very successful at Durham than trying to chase him in three or four years’ time.

“A lot of professional sport is judged on performances but before we even get to that stage, knowledge and experience says to me this guy is going to be a really good coach, so why not get him early?

“It comes back to trying to find that coach that’s going to be a good fit for this group, for the high-performance coaching structure and this team.’’

While Paul Collingwood, Geoff Cook and Lewis have departed, North has ensured two Riverside stalwarts remain as part of the coaching set-up.

Neil Kileen and Alan Walker are as much part of Durham as the sight of Lumley Castle overlooking the ground. They will have key roles to play as Franklin beds in with the club.

“We’ve got 20-plus years of experience with Alan Walker, Neil Killeen is an experienced coach now, very highly thought of and often taken away with England Under-19s programmes etc, so having that fit as well is really experience,’’ he added.

“I just feel there’s a real synergy already after my meetings with James. It seems like a really good fit and I just like he’s the right guy to get the best out of this group.

“I think keeping Neil and Alan on board was really important. Having people who have a real understanding of the club, not just from a players’ point of view but also a cultural and regional point of view.

“It’s a very young (first-class) county but there’s still a history and I think Alan Walker and Neil Killeen bring that coreness to it, then James with completely fresh eyes has had some really tough battles against strong Durham teams over the last 10 years so he understands what it’s like to play against a really strong Durham team.

“I come into that mould as a fresh pair of eyes but someone’s that been in the region and understands the values and the history of the club. I feel that’s a really good balance.’’

Franklin cut a relaxed and focused figure when he was introduced to the media on Monday in the Colin Milburn Lounge.

He impressed North and chief executive Tim Bostock throughout the recruitment process.

“He’s a very balanced individual,’’ said North. “He’s certainly not up and down emotionally and I think having that calmness, he’s very calculated with a good understanding of what he feels the direction he wants to go is. That’s credit to him as a person as well. There’s a real instant feel that this guy has a clear direction of where he wants to take this team.

“When you look at him as a player, he had an all-round game from a formats point of view – he’s played international cricket in all three formats, he’s been involved in the new T20 formats around the world, gaining a lot of knowledge and experience through that and being able to have an empathy and an understanding with what it’s like to be a bowler and a batter. He’s got great leadership skills having captained Middlesex to a County Championship.

“All these things build into a really good package and it adds to his thoughts on coaching as well, that balance as well.’’