Get Kirsten England ready to step up their pursuit of coach
Experience puts South African high on the list Ford, Silverwood and Thorpe also candidates
England are considering approaching Gary Kirsten to become the next head coach across all three formats as the search to replace Trevor Bayliss intensifies.
Ashley Giles, the England director of cricket, will this week formally begin the process of hiring a head coach for the England team and Kirsten is high on the list.
Kirsten is the most highly qualified candidate, particularly as England have put Test cricket back at the forefront of their priorities. The South African had initially shown interest in coaching only England’s one-day teams, but it is understood efforts will be made to find out if he can be tempted to take the full-time head coach’s role.
Giles reiterated last week he would appoint one head coach across all formats, believing splitting the role between one-day and Test cricket does not work. Giles had his fingers burnt as England’s one-day coach from 2012-14, when clashes with Andy Flower, then in charge of the Test team, made the split role unworkable.
But England will try to tempt Kirsten by offering him time off and appointing two assistant coaches who can take charge of Test or one-day series when he needs a break. It would also give valuable experience for an English coach to lead the team in the absence of the head coach.
Kirsten was head coach of India for four years and South Africa for three. He guided India to the 2011 World Cup and took South Africa to No1 in the Test rankings. He has coached in the Indian Premier League and across franchise tournaments all over the world since stepping down from full-time international roles in 2013.
England tour India next winter for five Tests and his knowledge of conditions there would be invaluable to captain Joe Root. Giles has put winning in Australia in 2021-22 top of his list of targets and Kirsten led South Africa to victory in Australia seven years ago. As an opening batsman, he played 101 Tests for South Africa, giving him vast experience of the longest form of the game and what is needed to score runs all over the world.
Kirsten has commitments in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore and was recently appointed head coach of the Cardiff franchise in the Hundred. If he can be persuaded to take the job it would at least allow the England and Wales Cricket Board to appoint an Englishman to replace him at Cardiff and ease some of the criticism of handing all the head coaches jobs in the Hundred to foreigners.
Kirsten could net a salary of £500,000 with win bonuses attached. If he decides he is not interested then other candidates include Graham Ford, the vastly experienced coach of Ireland, and current England backroom coaches Chris Silverwood and Graham Thorpe.