Legendary Australia cricketer expresses interest in coaching England
England (Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images)
Former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne has expressed his interest in coaching the England team. The position is left vacant after Chris Silverwood was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Silverwood was sacked after the Ashes humiliation in Australia. The Three Lions struggled badly last year in Tests. After their series victory against Sri Lanka, they lost to India in their backyard. They also lost to New Zealand at home and were trailing by 1-2 against India.
Currently, former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood has been appointed as the head coach on an interim basis. He will coach the team for the three-match Test series against the West Indies in their backyard. Warne has coached teams such as Rajasthan in the Indian T20 League and London Spirit in The Hundred. Meanwhile, the former leg-spinner reckons that he will do a great job.
“I’d like to do it, it’s a great time to be England coach. I think I’d do a pretty good job, there’s a lot to work with. There are so many good players in England and a lot of depth, but you’ve got to get some of the basics right,” Warne said on Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
The second-highest wicket taker in Tests added that Cricket Australia (CA) mishandled Justin Langer saga. Langer resigned as the head coach after an alleged rift with senior players. CA and the players stayed mum on the issue which left Warne disappointed.
“Cricket Australia were disgraceful in the way they handled it. Winning an Ashes series and a World Cup, it doesn’t get much bigger than that. But [Langer] was a dead man walking. When I didn’t hear the captain or any other players sticking up for him, saying he was fantastic, I found that really disappointing,” he said.
