BAYLISS TO TAKE BREAK
Farbrace steps in for summer T20 series
PAuL Farbrace will be given a chance to show why he should be England’s next coach when he takes over from Trevor Bayliss for the summer’s Twenty20 fixtures.
The current assistant coach will be in charge against Australia at Edgbaston next Wednesday and the three Twenty20 games with India that follow, with Bayliss (below) instead taking time to watch the next generation.
It is the first step towards the Australian’s eventual departure after the Ashes next year and is clear evidence England are considering promoting from within in the form of the highly regarded Farbrace.
This move is very much the work of England team director Andrew Strauss, even though he is on compassionate leave to look after his wife, who is battling cancer.
Sportsmail understands Strauss wants to see more of Farbrace in a leading role as he weighs up Bay-liss’s potential successors for next year. Bayliss, who has been much more successful with England in white-ball cricket than red, set the hare running on the end of his reign when he confirmed after the Ashes that he would not look to renew his contract in 2019. When Pakistan won the first Test of this summer at Lord’s it looked as though that day would be brought forward, at least in the Test game, but England’s victory at Headingley bought Bayliss time. Bayliss has always been relaxed about his future and said in New Zealand this year that he would be happy to give up the T20 reins and nominated Farbrace as his favoured successor. Now Farbrace has the perfect chance to prove the pedigree that has seen him turn down several offers during his spell as assistant to both Peter Moores and Bayliss, notably a lucrative approach from Bangladesh. The former Kent and Middlesex keeper was put in temporary charge after Moores was sacked in 2015 until Bayliss arrived and helped launch the one- day revolution with a no- fear approach in victory against New Zealand.
England look set to go back next year to the dual coaching system that did not work when it was shared by Andy Flower and Ashley Giles when Bayliss hands over the reins for good. And this means Farbrace, a personable character who has formed an impresand sive double act with Bayliss, is very much in the frame for at least the white-ball role.
It has been a criticism of Bayliss that he does not know enough about county cricket but packed international schedules have made it virtually impossible for him to watch the coming men.
Now he will take in England Lions tri-series against India and West Indies while also watching county cricket. Clearly Bayliss will remain in charge of the 50- over side until next year’s World Cup his last match in charge for now will see England attempt to clinch the first 5-0 one- day whitewash against his countrymen.
Such has been the gulf between these sides in a onesided Royal London series that an Australian win at Old Trafford tomorrow would be an even bigger surprise than a Panama win in Russia.
Nothing sums up the disparity more than England’s opening partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy. In 16 innings, it has already, with six 100- run stands, surpassed any pair in English one-day history.
Once Roy and Bairstow had hit 174 in 24 overs in the fourth international at Durham on Thursday, England had turned what was to become the second highest run- chase in their one- day history to overtake Australia’s 310 into a stroll.
‘Our main aim is to make sure what we’re doing now are just stepping stones towards the bigger picture, the World Cup,’ said Roy. ‘It’s great breaking records but we realise we have to have this confidence and results this time next year.’
ENGLAND (probable): Roy, Bairstow, Hales, Root, Morgan (capt), Buttler (wkt), Moeen, Willey, Plunkett, Rashid, Wood.