Giles backs Chris Silverwood as England's next head coach

"Some guys are really strong in connecting with the dressing room but don't naturally lead well because it takes a different set of skills, but I think Chris
Silverwood could do it." © Getty

Ashley Giles has backed Chris Silverwood to take over as England's next head coach and is "99.9 per cent" sure the job will involve coaching both red and white ball sides.

As the newly appointed ECB director of cricket, it is Giles responsibility to appoint Trevor Bayliss' successor when the Australian leaves at the end of September. There was talk of the roles being split to allow coaches a break from the exhausting international schedule. However, Giles, who was one part of a dual operation when he took the white ball teams between 2012 and 2014 to allow Andy Flower to focus on the Test side, does not seem keen to go in that direction.

By way of sharing workloads, he has instilled a new support team of three assistant coaches that will work under the head coach. Paul Collingwood will be one of them, alongside Graham Thorpe and Silverwood. The trio will see things out until the end of the World Cup. A replacement for Paul Farbrace, who leaves his job as assistant coach to join Warwickshire next month, will not be forthcoming before a new head coach is hired.

Speaking of his thought process, Giles said: I'll put my cards on the table: My feelings now are 99.9 per cent that we should have one coach.

"We've had one absolute head coach - I was white-ball only - in about 20 years and he (Peter Moores) has done it twice. That's not great for our coach development. I'm a bit of a romantic but not so much that it has to be (English). We've got to get the right man for the job."

"I see it as one guy in charge - and be prepared for time off - and perhaps three assistant coaches, not just one, that help share the burden. The top man has different voices to go to and we'll see the start of that shape going into the World Cup. But what I don't want is for it to get in the way of such a big summer. If we have to wait until the end of the Ashes, if we need interim, that might be a way to go. What we can't let it do is upset this period."

Silvewood, though, is front and centre of Giles' think thanks in part to his remarkable couple of seasons with Essex. Having secured the county promotion in 2016, he led them to the County Championship the following year - their first since 1992. The former England quick has also earned the respect of the international players with his work as bowling coach - a role he took at the start of 2018.

"We see the same names being bandied around - some very good names and some very good coaches - but having experience of seeing what Spoons (Silverwood) did at Essex, it was a remarkable turnaround," said Giles.

"They were a bit of a shambles and he came in and in two years turned them around completely. He's got a very nice way about him but he's a tough bloke, has a fair amount of discipline and communicates really well.

"Some guys are really strong in connecting with the dressing room but don't naturally lead well because it takes a different set of skills, but I think Chris Silverwood could do it."