Gary Kirsten and Graham Ford express interest in England head coaching roles, with Simon Katich also a candidate; Ricky Ponting and former Australia manager Justin Langer are not in contention, Sky Sports News understands; Ben Stokes is expected to succeed Joe Root as test captain
New England men’s cricket managing director Rob Key to appoint separate red and white ball head coaches
England men’s cricket managing director Rob Key has begun his search for red and white split head coaches.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has published a job announcement confirming that two head coaches will be appointed, one for Test Cricket and one for the limited overs formats.
England previously had two separate head coaches between 2012 and 2014, with Andy Flower in charge of red-ball cricket and Ashley Giles in charge of the cue-ball sides.
Chris Silverwood departed as England head coach after the 4-0 thrashing of the Ashes this winter, with Paul Collingwood in charge on an interim basis for the 1-0 Test series defeat at the West Indies in March.
The job ad says that the new coaches “will play a central role in selecting the team for their respective format alongside a national team panel”.
The role of national team manager was previously abolished in 2021 when Ed Smith left the ECB and then-manager Silverwood took over as head of player selection.
The deadline for applications for head coaching positions is May 6, and stage one interviews are scheduled for May 9-10.
Key will outline his vision for England’s national teams when he speaks to the media on Thursday.
Sky sports news He understands that Key, whose appointment as Giles’ successor as England MD was confirmed on Easter Sunday, has yet to officially approach the coaches but that candidates are emerging.
Former India and South Africa head coach Gary Kirsten, who was interviewed by England in 2019 before Silverwood’s appointment, and former Surrey, Sri Lanka and Ireland manager Graham Ford, with whom Key worked at Kent, have expressed interest. .
Kirsten recently said that she would be interested in coaching England in Test cricket.
Former Australia batsman Simon Katich is also in the mix.
The 46-year-old, who lives in England, has extensive knowledge of county cricket after spells in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Durham and Derbyshire.
Like Kirsten, Katich is a current manager at The Hundred (he coaches Manchester Originals while Kirsten is at Welsh Fire) and has coaching experience in the Indian Premier League.
Sky sports news understands that Australian duo Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer are not in the picture for any of the head coaching jobs being advertised.
Langer guided Australia to the T20 World Cup title and Ashes glory over the winter, but then stepped down from his role earlier this year after turning down a short-term extension amid reports some players were unhappy with him. their training methods.
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes is expected to succeed Joe Root as Test captain, but that may need the blessing of England’s new head coach.
England begin their summer test against New Zealand at Lord’s from June 2, with the white-ball team back in action in a one-day international series in the Netherlands from June 17.
The job advertisement stated: “These roles are responsible for developing world-class England men’s teams in red and white ball cricket and ensuring sustained success both at home and abroad.
“Roles will have the added responsibility of developing a style of play and culture that inspires future generations of players and fans.”
The ECB is looking for people who can “develop a high-performance culture that drives outstanding performance, on and off the pitch, ensuring that England teams are capable of winning consistently in all formats, home and away” and train” effective working relationships with all of the counties, leveraging the knowledge and experience of coaches from across the country.”
International coaching experience is considered “desirable”.
