Chris Silverwood has been named head coach of the English men’s team, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Monday, October 7th.
Silverwood, 44, was promoted to the role of a bowling coach. He succeeds Trevor Bayliss after the Australian resigned in the aftermath of Australia’s 2-1 draw with England.
“We are very pleased to confirm Chris as head coach of the English men, we have gone through a thorough process and reviewed all available options and Chris was the outstanding candidate,” said Ashley Giles, Managing Director of the ECB Men’s Cricket.
“I think he’s what we need to move our international teams forward, he’s someone we know well, but it’s his deep understanding of our structures and systems and his close relationships with test captain Joe Root and Eoin Morgan that will be us help to develop our plans for the next few years.
“He has performed exceptionally well in his role as an assistant coach and enjoys the utmost respect of the players who have worked with him.”
🚨 Just in 🚨
— ICC (@ICC) October 7, 2019
Chris Silverwood has been appointed Head Coach of the England's men team!
What do you make of that appointment England fans? pic.twitter.com/eZswO7uLqF
Other top job candidates were Alec Stewart and Gary Kirsten; Surrey’s Cricket Director, Stewart, reportedly quit the race last week, citing the difficulty of finding a balance between family responsibilities and England’s international timetable.
Kirsten was also a strong candidate, supported by former cricketers like Michael Atherton and Lance Klusener. The 44-year-old Silverwood, however, got her into the role and will take over the job before England’s New Zealand Tour from 27 October.
Silverwood, who has worked with the men’s team as a fast bowling coach since January 2018, can also look back on a solid trainer curriculum vitae. In 2017, he coached Essex for the first time in 25 years for the championship title. He has the experience of working closely with the current English players who assisted Bayliss in their World Cup triumph in July.
When Silverwood talked about his appointment, he was thrilled and looking forward to continuing the success of the current number of players, starting with tours to New Zealand and South Africa.
“I’m thrilled and honored to have been named head coach of England,” he said. “I want to continue the great work of the past five years and build on our future, especially in the Test Arena.
“For the last two seasons, I’ve enjoyed working with the players and building the best talents in the English game.”
