Chris Silverwood Appointed England Head Coach Across All Formats

England have appointed Chris Silverwood as the new head coach of the side across all three formats following the departure of Trevor Bayliss. The Australian was in charge of the England side following their debacle in the 2015 World Cup where they crashed out in the league stages. Under his stewardship, England staged a resurgence in white ball cricket that saw them turn their fortunes around and win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 against New Zealand in a thrilling final at Lord's. In Tests, England whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in Sri Lanka before drawing the 2019 Ashes series 2-2 against Australia. 

The ECB selection panel, comprising of former England spinner Ashley Giles, Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison and Head of Coach Development John Neal. Silverwood was one of the candidates along with other stalwarts like Alec Stewart, Gary Kirsten and Graham Ford. However, according to English media reports, Kirsten performed poorly in the interview and Silverwood was the unanimous choice. 

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Speaking about Silverwood's selection, Giles remarked, "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. 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. His relationships with the first-class game, in particular county coaches and Directors of Cricket, will be invaluable. Having led Essex to the County Championship title in 2017, his legacy is very much in evidence this campaign, which saw Essex win the domestic double of the Specsavers County Championship and the Vitality Blast."

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Silverwood played only six Tests and seven ODIs during his international career that was plagued with injuries. His stand-out performance was a haul of 5/91 during the Cape Town Test against South Africa in a series where England lost 1-2 but the win in Centurion came under the scanner for match-fixing following the-then skipper Hansie Cronje's forfeiture of one innings. Following his time in international cricket, Silverwood plunged into coaching and was instrumental in Essex winning the 2017 County Championship. He was appointed as the bowling coach under Bayliss during England's tenure. 

"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," Silverwood remarked after his selection.

England will now embark on a tour of New Zealand that will include five Twenty20 Internationals and two Tests. However, the two Tests are not part of the World Test Championship. After New Zealand, England will embark on a tough tour to South Africa. 

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