Man who escaped terrorists
TREVOR BAYLISS is on the verge of taking over the England cricket team. Here are eight things you may not know about the 52- year- old Australian coach of New South Wales:
1.
In 2009, Bayliss was on a team coach with the Sri Lanka team when they were attacked by armed terrorists in Pakistan. The attack resulted in several injuries to the players, but Bayliss emerged unscathed, while Paul Farbrace, with whom he could team up with again for England, sustained minor injuries.
2.
He has enjoyed success in domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world, winning the Indian Premier League twice with Kolkata Knight Riders while also leading Sydney Sixers to the inaugural Big Bash title in 2011.
3.
Bayliss has no experience of playing at international level, playing only for New South Wales in a 12- year career. He averaged 35.58 in fi rst- class cricket in Australia, scoring over 3,000 runs with fi ve centuries and a highest score of 163, before playing his fi nal game in 1993.
4.
He was identifi ed by headhunters as a leading candidate to replace Andy Flower as England coach in 2014 before being overlooked as the ECB targeted a home- grown appointment.
5.
As well as taking charge of Sri Lanka, whom he led to a World Cup fi nal in 2011, Bayliss led Australia in a T20 series against South Africa last year.
6.
Is largely responsible for the rise of Angelo Mathews to Sri Lanka Test captain at the age of 25, having identifi ed him as a leader from a young age.
7.
Bayliss was born in Goulburn, New South Wales, which is also the birthplace of another Australian adopted by the United Kingdom – former James Bond actor George Lazenby. He has two teenage children, Adam and Emma, who live in Australia. 8. Would be the fi rst Australian to coach England, and the third foreign coach after Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower.