England head coach Chris Silverwood has stepped down after a humiliating 0-4 defeat in the Ashes. He became the second major casualty of the Ashes loss as Ashley Giles was sacked as managing director on Wednesday. Now all eyes will be on Joe Root whether he would be persisted for the job or not.
ECB is likely to appoint someone on an interim basis for the West Indies tour which is their only assignment before the summer.
Chris Silverwood was promoted as head coach after Ashes 2019
“In the coming days, Andrew Strauss will appoint a caretaker coach for the tour of the West Indies and will then consider the appropriate coaching structures to help England move forwards,” ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said in a media release.
Chris Silverwood was promoted as head coach after the Ashes 2019 when Trevor Bayliss decided to step down from the role. Earlier he was associated with the team as an assistant coach.
“It’s been an absolute honour to be England Head Coach, and I’m extremely proud to have worked alongside our players and staff. I want to thank them all for the hard work and commitment they have given during my time in the role and I wish them all the very best moving forward,” Chris Silverwood said in a media release.
“The last two years have been very demanding but I have really enjoyed my time with the team and working with Rooty and Morgs, and I am very proud of this group considering the challenges. I leave with fond memories and I am now looking forward to spending some quality time at home with my family and embracing the next chapter,” he added.
The pressure was looming large on him as England had a tough year in Test cricket. First, they lost the 4-match series in India by 1-3 then even at home they were on receiving end against New Zealand and India. Then finally the Ashes defeat hit the nail in the coffin.
England struggled to compete throughout the series and also their tactics received severe criticism from the media and former players. First at Brisbane, England dropped both Anderson and Broad for the Brisbane when situations were tailormade for them on a gloomy morning. Then in Adelaide Test Mark Wood was rested who looked like the best pacer for those conditions.
The only test when England managed a draw, was in Sydney when Anderson and Broad denied the hosts the last wicket to avoid a series whitewash.
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