Chris Silverwood has been from promoted from his role as fast bowling coach to succeed Trevor Bayliss as head coach of the England cricket team, after being described as the “outstanding candidate” for the job.
Bayliss stepped down following the recent Ashes series, which was drawn 2-2 as Australia retained the urn. Silverwood, 44, led Essex to the County Championship in 2017 before joining Bayliss’s England setup and the end of the season.
Silverwood’s first major task will be to head up England’s tour of New Zealand, which features a five-match T20 series starting on 1 November and two Test matches.
“We are delighted to confirm Chris as England men’s head coach,” said Ashley Giles, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director. “We have gone through a thorough process and looked at all the options that were available to us. Chris was the standout candidate.
“I believe he is what we need to take our international teams forward. 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.
“Chris demonstrated in his interview a clear understanding and strategy of how both the red and white ball teams need to evolve. He has some detailed thoughts on what it will take to win the Ashes in Australia and win major ICC white-ball tournaments.”
Silverwood played six Tests and seven ODIs for England between 1996 and 2002, alongside a successful county career with Yorkshire and Middlesex.
“I am thrilled and honoured to be appointed England Head Coach.,” he said. “I aim to continue the great work that has been done over the past five years and build on our future, especially in the Test arena.
“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 there is enormous potential for growth. The hard work starts now, and I am confident we can make a positive impact during our winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa.”
