Who could be next and other key questions as Trevor Bayliss confirms England exit

Rory Dollard 14:07 09/01/2018
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  • Trevor Bayliss has announced he will leave his post as England coach in September 2019, when his current contract expires.

    Here, we answer some of the key questions arising from the announcement.

    WHY NOW?

    Heavy defeats in an Ashes series tend to raise questions about the job security of key personnel and when the inevitable scrutiny arrived at Bayliss’ door, he saw no reason to lie.

    Throughout his coaching career Bayliss has never stayed in a post much beyond four years and his stint with England will fit the pattern to a tee.

    Those with a greater interest in presentation and perception may have chosen to choreograph news of their planned departure at a better time but the plain-speaking Australian tends to favour an honest answer.

    England 4

    DOES A LONG GOODBYE UNDERMINE HIM?

    Telegraphing his exit more than 18 months in advance is certainly unlikely to strengthen Bayliss’ hand, but there is so much cricket in the current, exhaustive calendar that he holds plenty of power for as long as he remains in position.

    Players who want to be involved in big set pieces like a home World Cup in 2019 and the subsequent domestic Ashes would be well advised to hang on his every word. But whether a measure of support ebbs away among fans, or even in the ECB’s corridors of power is an open question.

    If he is to go out on a tide of goodwill, it will be based on results.

    WILL HE GROOM A SUCCESSOR?

    Ego is essentially a non-factor for Bayliss, so he will likely do precisely what is asked of him by his employers.

    If that means welcoming an heir apparent into the fold and easing his path, expect Bayliss to do it with minimal fuss. If it means getting on with the job while headhunters do theirs, that should also work.

    England 5

    WHO ARE THE LONG-RANGE CANDIDATES?

    There was once strong support for Bayliss’ current deputy Paul Farbrace easing into the top job when the time came, but the former’s suggestion that “a new voice” is needed suggests that may not be the favoured plan.

    Paul Collingwood is highly-respected and ticks many of the right boxes – an involvement in the coaching set-up but enough distance for deniability, good relations with the current generation, a strong knowledge of the county game – but he is still active for Durham and has never held a permanent coaching position.

    Might Chris Silverwood, a title winner at Essex and recently appointed as England bowling coach, fancy a fast-track promotion or will Australian Jason Gillespie, once a red hot favourite for the job and now back in the country with Sussex, come back into the fray?

    One thing is for certain though, a third stint for Peter Moores seems unlikely.

    Paul Collingwood

    COULD ENGLAND SPLIT THE COACHING JOB?

    Bayliss’ proposed end date of September 2019 will mark the end of an enormous summer for English cricket.

    Not only are they hosting the World Cup, and looking to get their hands on it for the first time, but they are hoping to regain the urn from Australia soon after. Is it possible, or even sensible, for one man to mastermind both projects?

    With Bayliss on the way out, the ECB might well consider handing part of his portfolio on to someone else by way of an audition. England pioneered this approach when Andy Flower handed the one-day reins to Ashley Giles but found it an unwieldy method and duly binned it.

    The current international schedule almost demands a reappraisal of an idea that may just have been ahead of its time.

    Provided by Press Association Sport

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