Let’s get straight to it – the last year has been a rather disappointing in the world of Test Match cricket for the England side. Home defeats to India and New Zealand and failing to bring the Ashes urn back to home turf proves this. It’s fair to say that new director of Cricket Rob Key had several crucial decisions to make when considering who was to replace both Chris Silverwood and Joe Root, as coach and captain respectively. So, who has been appointed to replace the pair and what we can expect from the changes to the men’s cricket team this summer?
There was only one logical player to become Joe Roots replacement - talisman Ben Stokes. The all-rounder was announced as captain in a decision that was celebrated by all, but what can we expect from him? On numerous occasions, Stokes has shown his leadership qualities and determination to win. Most notably against Australia in the 2019 Ashes Headingley Test, when Stokes single-handedly won England the game scoring 135 not out – and to no surprise, gained the nickname ‘Headingley Hero’. We can certainly expect Stokes to get England playing some exciting cricket, and hopefully get the players to enjoy themselves again - a key factor for individuals to play at the top of their games.
Now onto the coaches: a big decision Rob Key has made is to split the Test Match and white ball coaching roles. Albeit we agree this decision was a good one, as the formats are very different and enables the coaches to focus fully on their individual formats. With that in mind, the Test team can look to discover their best form and return to the summit once again. So, who’s been chosen to lead the team back to the World No.1 spot? Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is that man. Arguably, this decision was certainly left field, however McCullum played a big part in the rise of New Zealand cricket from his position as captain. Time will tell if Rob Key has made the right decision as England look to return to their winning ways.
So, that just leaves us to discuss the white ball coach. It was Matthew Mott who was the standout candidate, as Rob Key looked to appoint someone who will continue to push the limited overs side beyond their extremely high standards already set. Mott has been the Australian Women’s head coach since 2015, experiencing great success that saw them win the 50-over World Cup earlier this year, two T20 World Cups, four Ashes victories and a record 26-match winning streak from 2018-2021. Mott has said he’s very excited to work alongside Eoin Morgan to help England compete and win more trophies.
If like us you’re excited to see what happens this summer, join us to see England attempt to beat current ICC World Test champions New Zealand, India in the nail-biting final Test or South Africa in September. Check out our cricket hospitality experiences below.
