Morgan open to splitting coach job

Cricket365
January 13, 2018

England skipper Eoin Morgan believes that the pace at which cricket is changing, particularly in shorter formats, will see countries employ different coaches for different formats.

On the field Morgan is the limited overs skipper while Joe Root leads England’s Test team and previously the coaching role had been split when Andy Flower had Ashley Giles direct the shorter formats.

Australia have liberally employed stand-in coaches for some limited overs assignments themselves using them as an opportunity to trial the best coaches in the country while giving Darren Lehmann a break.

When Morgan was asked if he saw separate coaches being employed beyond 2019 when Trevor Bayliss’ contract expires he said: “I think down the line there will be.Cricket is going to change even more in the next 10 years than it has in the previous 10 years.

“I’d say, if anything, the formats are getting further and further apart. So I’m open to it.”

Morgan has been delighted by the progress England have made under Bayliss since the 2015 World Cup saying they have improved a lot faster than anyone thought they would.

He added: “After that, a line was drawn in the sand and we were given clear directives that the goal was the 2019 World Cup.

“The gap between the England team in that World Cup and where we need to be in 2019, I don’t think anybody knows.

“But to bridge the gap between where we were at in that World Cup and, say, being in the semi-final or the final was the first port of the call. Bridging that gap came quicker that we ever thought it would.

“We got a huge amount of confidence from the selectors. Andrew Strauss, our director of cricket, gave absolute clarity in what we wanted.

“I think, as a captain and backroom staff, we certainly thrived on that. It’s not often you get free rein and ambition to be as adventurous as you like.”

Morgan also feels that Australia will take a lot of confidence from their Ashes win with more Test players set to don gold pyjamas for the home side.

He said: “I know they had a difficult run with weather in the Champions Trophy, they didn’t even complete a full game against us, and certainly that was a struggle for them.

“But they’re a very strong team, certainly at home. They don’t have as many changes as we have from Tests to one-dayers so they’ll probably be up on the confidence of the Ashes win.”

The first ODI between Australia and England takes place on Sunday at the MCG.