SILVERWOOD LANDS TOP ENGLAND JOB
New England coach Silverwood vows to boost Test side
Chris silverwood has been given the task of building on Trevor Bayliss’s world Cup legacy and improving the Test team’s fortunes after the ‘standout candidate’ was named england’s new coach yesterday.
As Sportsmail revealed on saturday, silverwood emerged from the interview process ahead of the more decorated south African Gary Kirsten. his promotion from fast bowling coach, a position he’s held for the last two years, will see him on a salary in the region of £500,000 plus bonuses.
‘i aim to continue the great work that has been done over the past five years and build for our future, especially in the Test arena,’ said the 44-year-old Yorkshireman.
‘i have enjoyed working with the players over the past two seasons and developing the best crop of talent in the english game. i am excited to get started and build teams that the whole game can be proud of. There is a tremendous amount of talent coming through and enormous potential for growth.’
silverwood’s words yesterday hinted at the transitional phases he charted for all three full england teams during last week’s presentation to the interview panel of eCB chief executive Tom harrison, managing director of cricket Ashley Giles and head of coach development John Neal.
in contrast, Kirsten — lauded as a technical coach and one with a c.v. that saw him take both india and his native south Africa to the top of the Test rankings — was light on detail.
it had become a choice between the two after surrey’s Alec stewart withdrew for family reasons, and the insider knowledge allied to the favourable impression silverwood has made since joining up with england in January 2018 unanimously swayed the vote in his favour. Although Giles recently pledged to place the focus on Test cricket, Kirsten’s underwhelming record as a coach in the shortest format also counted against him.
england analysts have worked out what results the team must achieve to make the world Test Championship final at lord’s in midsummer 2021. however, with two world Twenty20s in the next 24 months, there is also an onus on winning a third global title.
Giles said: ‘Chris was the standout candidate. he is somebody we know well, but it is his intimate understanding of our structures and systems and his close relationships with Test captain Joe root and white-ball captain eoin Morgan that will help us develop our plans for the next few years. he has performed exceptionally well during his role as an assistant coach and has the ultimate respect of the players that have worked with him.
‘Chris demonstrated in his interview a clear understanding and strategy of how both the red- and white-ball teams need to evolve. he has detailed thoughts on what it will take to win the Ashes in Australia and win major iCC white-ball tournaments. Ultimately, his highest quality is that he is a winner.’
The first assignment for silverwood, who led essex to the County Championship in 2017 just a year after overseeing their promotion from division Two, will be the New Zealand tour starting later this month.
due to the timescales, it is likely that a temporary fast-bowling coach of silverwood’s choosing will be appointed for that trip, with a permanent appointment made later in the winter.
one option would have been to use england’s leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson — who has a level two coaching qualification — as a mentor in New Zealand.
The 37- year- old remained around the Ashes series to provide advice after an achilles injury curtailed his participation over the summer.
however, such is the lancashire veteran’s determination to add to his 575 Test wickets that he has been placed on a two- month rehabilitation programme with Manchester City’s strength and conditioning coaches.
should all go to plan, Anderson will then go to south Africa in early december alongside Mark wood in a bid to make a return to international action in the Boxing day Test in Pretoria.