Trevor Bayliss
Chris Stocks meets the Three Lions’ Aussie coach in Perth
Knowing as he does that England coaches are ultimately judged on their performances in Ashes series, Trevor Bayliss realises the next few months will present him with the biggest challenge of his career so far.
Having started his tenure in the summer of 2015 with what was judged then as a surprise Ashes win against Steve Smith’s men, the Australian is back on home soil looking to pull off an even bigger shock.
Only one England team – in 2010-11 – has won in Australia since Mike Gatting and company were successful here 30 years ago.
Add into the mix that Bayliss is plotting the downfall of his homeland and you have the ingredients for a potentially memorable few months.
How strange is it though trying to beat your own country?
“I haven’t felt it yet, it’s no different from being in England doing it,” he says. “I’m not a flag-waving supporter of any team.You want your team to win. I’m with England now so I want them to win. Sure, whenever my tenure with England ends I’ll be back on Australia’s side!”
The absence of star all-rounder Ben Stokes, back home still under police investigation following his late-night brawl in Bristol in September, means expectations for English fans have been lowered from the very start of this tour.
Indeed, the chances of Bayliss and his team backing up that 2015 Ashes win have been greatly damaged.
But Bayliss refutes the notion that many England fans are looking at this upcoming series with a sense of dread.
“Who said doom and gloom?” he says. “Should we get on the plane back to England now then?
“Certainly, we’ve been playing some good cricket, so have Australia. Both teams are similar with good performances and poor performances. Australia are beatable.”
The Stokes issue could, if you’re being fatalistic, prove a distraction to the players who are currently here in Australia.
So how do you make sure they are focused?
“It’s a natural thing,” says the Australian. “They have a very important, tough series coming up and they are totally focussed on winning it. They are professional players and it’s about the cricket from now on. We can’t worry about something we can’t control.
“If any team lose one of their better players it’s going to be upsetting to a certain degree. But we have time to smooth things out and find the right combination. We certainly wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we could win without him.
“They are concentrating on playing without him. If we worry too much about whether he is or he isn’t, that takes the focus off what we are doing. If we see that creeping in with the players, we will stop it as soon as we can. They are getting on with it well.”
Replacing Stokes will not be easy but Bayliss appears close to knowing his XI for the first Test in
Wood was unlucky to miss out. We will be keeping an eye on him, so that keeps the guys on their toes
Brisbane later this month.
“Having to replace Ben and the combination that we come up with requires a bit of thought,” said the 54-year-old. “Personally, I think we have to play a bowler in his place which makes our batting not quite as long. But when you have Chris Woakes at No.8, that’s probably the combination I’ve been after for a while.
“Moeen Ali batting as low as eight for the last couple of years, I think, has been a waste. I think it’s something that as the team develops over the coming years, that’s a combination that we will get to.
“Either Mo or Jonny will be at six or seven. The way Stokes has been playing over the last summer, he’s developing into a world class No.5. Those three, in whatever combination, that’s a pretty good five, six, seven with Woakes at No.8. I think that’s what we were working towards anyway.
“We have had problems at the top of the order so having Mo at eight and Woakes at nine suited us. It’s been successful, so no problems there. Eventually, Bairstow and Moeen at six and seven and Woakes at eight is a combination England will end up with.”
As for this series, is there any chance that captain Joe Root could move up to No.3 so that James Vince can be shielded a place lower down the order?
“Joe is keen to bat at No.4. That’s where we will start.”
In terms of the bowler who will replace Stokes, Bayliss would be comfortable throwing in a debutant at the Gabba in the form of Somerset’s Craig Overton, who is expected to play the opening tour match against a Western Australian XI this weekend.
“If he’s in our best XI, there’s no reason why not,” said the coach. “If we have a player who we think is our best player, then so be it.”
Mark Wood arrives in Australia shortly with England Lions, who will be in and around the senior set-up in the build-up to the first Test in three weeks’ time.
The Durham fast bowler only missed out on an Ashes place because of his long-running injury problems but could well be in the mix to face the Australians – potentially in time for the third Test at Perth – if he can prove his fitness and form.
“Wood was unlucky to miss out. We will be keeping an eye on him. He’s in and around the squad in Brisbane and Perth, practising, so that keeps the guys on their toes.”
England named Chris Silverwood as their new fast bowling coach on Wednesday and Bayliss is looking forward to the architect of Essex’s County Championship win joining up with the squad in the New Year.
“The guy’s had really good success over the last couple of years,” he said. “He’s highly motivated, as he showed in his interview process, to be involved with the England team.
“Homegrown is important, we have looked at players getting experience round the world and that goes for coaches, too. It’s good to see a homegrown guy get international experience.”