The Ashes: England coach Chris Silverwood calls for change to domestic structure

2 years ago 33
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England coach Chris Silverwood hopes the manner of England's 4-0 Ashes loss will spark the change he believes is needed to improve their fortunes.

Silverwood said he wants to carry on as coach and backed captain Joe Root but said the English game "has to change".

"You look at yesterday and the whole series and you can't honestly say everything is alright," he added.

"Sometimes you need disturbance to create change. We have certainly got that."

England were completely outplayed throughout the series, only avoiding a whitewash by hanging on for a draw in Sydney in the fourth Test.

Silverwood, whose own decisions and position have come under scrutiny, said those running the game "need to find a way" of scheduling the County Championship throughout the season.

The majority of the domestic red-ball competition is currently played at the start and end of the season when conditions are favourable for bowlers, with white-ball competitions - the T20 Blast and The Hundred - played in the height of summer.

"By me speaking out about it and speaking to Ash [England's director of men's cricket Ashley Giles] and Tom [England and Wales chief executive Tom Harrison], hopefully we can get around a table and find a way to make this happen," Silverwood, who has been in charge since 2019, told BBC Test Match Special.

"The encouraging thing for me is it has actually been acknowledged that this needs to happen now. What I would like to see is some action."

The former pace bowler added: "Back when I was coming through you used to play throughout the year and up front it would be sporting and during middle of the summer it flattened out and batsmen came into their own and spinners came into their own.

"Equally as a fast bowler you needed extra pace or bounce or to generate movement to compete.

"It allows players to learn how to compile big innings and teaches them to get greedy and get used to scoring 400. Somehow we have to make it happen."

Root the 'right man' to lead England

England have only won once in Australia in the past 35 years, this defeat following 4-0 and 5-0 losses on their previous two tours.

But on Silverwood's watch England have only one of their past 14 Tests since February last year.

Silverwood admitted his job is "on the line" but said he "definitely" has the hunger to carry on.

"I am honoured to be head coach of England but I am an England cricket fan as well," he said.

"I am desperate to see England do well and am desperate to influence to make us better."

In the aftermath of England's defeat in Sydney Root insisted he wants to continue as captain, a position he has held since 2017.

"He wants to see this team do well and lead them when the team is doing well," he said.

"He is a super bloke and is the right man to lead this team. We need to give the guys the opportunity to learn the skills and they need to lead well on the field as well."

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