Bond in line for fast-bowling consultant role
New Zealander No1 on shortlist for Ashes tour Bayliss puts off full-time appointment until 2018
Shane Bond, the former New Zealand fast bowler, is England’s top choice to be their fast-bowling consultant on this winter’s Ashes tour as they look to delay naming a fulltime replacement for Ottis Gibson.
Gibson left his post as England bowling coach after the third Investec Test at Lord’s and his position has been advertised.
But Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, said he was more likely to make a temporary appointment for the Ashes before bringing in someone full-time next year.
The Daily Telegraph understands Bond is the favoured choice to work with the fast bowlers this winter. He has become one of the world’s leading coaches since having to retire through injury in 2010, playing a crucial role in the development of New Zealand’s new-ball pair, Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
He is unlikely to be interested in the job full-time due to his commitments as bowling coach of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, but a short-term contract for the Ashes may appeal, particularly given that the England and Wales Cricket Board has the financial clout to make him a good offer. England are also likely to appoint a different one-day series coach, with Darren Gough in the frame.
“In the past, we’ve had consultants come in. We’ve had Mahela [Jayawardene] and people like that, so we might try and organise something along those lines just for the winter,” said Bayliss.
Bond knows Australian conditions and would command the respect of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. A large part of the job would be working on bowling plans to dismiss the Australian batsmen and make the most of the Kookaburra ball rather than specific technical coaching, something that should not be needed with a group of experienced international bowlers.
For the rest of this summer, England will use a variety of county coaches who have shown an interest in the job. Chris Silverwood, on the verge of leading Essex to the championship title, is a strong contender for the post on a full-time basis. “The position is very much open, and we have got a bit of time,” added Bayliss about his first fulltime backroom staff appointment.
For now, he has to work out his Ashes squad, which will be announced close to England’s final game of the season at the Rose Bowl on Sept 29. Major surprises are unlikely. Gary Ballance is set to return after a broken finger and Surrey’s Ben Foakes to go as reserve wicketkeeper ahead of Jos Buttler for the Test leg of the tour.
Dawid Malan and Mark Stoneman have shown enough in their brief Test careers to stay in the setup, but Haseeb Hameed, Tom Westley and Keaton Jennings all have a lot to play for in the final weeks of the county season.
Asked if he was clear on his Ashes squad, Bayliss replied: “Not 100 per cent. The big question is whether the three guys [Malan, Stoneman and Westley] have done enough. I’m sure they would have loved, as we would for them, to come out and make a couple of hundreds. They have shown they are good enough, but are they good enough for long enough? Are they tough enough, especially for an Ashes series? We will be discussing other players we have had in the team over the last 12-18 months, but these three guys, it will be hard to go past them.
“Stoneman looks a tough cricketer at the top of the order. His game is in good order, nothing much fazes him, he’s calm around the changing room, has a good knowledge of the game and what works for him. He copped a couple of good ones during this series and didn’t let it worry him. Again, Westley against South Africa, there weren’t too many more difficult situations. Malan missed out early and there was a bit of pressure on him – he’s got a couple of 60s since, so is very much in the running.”
Bayliss was bullish about England’s chances in Australia, pointing to the problems in the opposition team which mirror those here with an over-reliance on two senior batsmen. “We are not going over to make up the numbers. We are going with a view to win, simple as that,” he said.