Will Gary Kirsten replace Chris Silverwood as England coach in Test?

England have lost the Ashes 3-0 Down Under
with two matches remaining in the series. England had also trailed 2-1 against
India earlier in 2021 when the series was postponed due to the rise in COVID-19
positive cases in the Indian camp.

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Now, 3-0 up in his first assignment as
Australia’s Test captain, Pat Cummins is eyeing 5-0 whitewash. Even if Cummins’
wish would not come true, England coach Chris Silverwood will be under the
scrutiny of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Silverwood will be
missing the Sydney Test after one of his family members tested positive for
COVID-19 in Melbourne.

Also Read: David Warner reveals his wishes before retiring from Test cricket

As England failed to win the Ashes, the
ultimate crown that England wish to win in Test cricket against Australia,
Silverwood’s job will definitely be under threat. Amid such a scenario, the
2011 World Cup-winning India coach Gary Kirsten expressed his interest to helm
the position of England head coach in red-ball cricket.

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Former South Africa opener Kirsten has
applied for the role of England coach twice previously, in 2015 and 2019. He
has not coached an international team since 2013, citing family commitments,
but has held roles with various T20 teams including Royal Challengers
Bangalore, Hobart Hurricanes and Durban Heat.

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A former southpaw with 7289 Test runs in
101 Tests, Kirsten was the frontrunner to succeed Trevor Bayliss in 2019 but
was beaten to the role by Silverwood after underwhelming at the interview. He
later revealed that he had believed he was attending a “token
interview” and that the ECB had already decided to offer him the job.

Kirsten is coaching Welsh Fire in Hundred

Kirsten is already on the ECB’s payroll in
his role as Welsh Fire’s head coach in the men’s Hundred and said on Thursday
that he would be keen to take over as England’s coach on the provision that the
roles were split between red- and white-ball formats.

“Listen, it [the England job] is
always a consideration because it’s a tremendous honour,” Kirsten said,
according to ESPNCricinfo. “I have walked this journey twice now and I’ve
always made it clear that I would never commit to doing all formats. And when
international cricket boards get their head around the fact that they need to
split coaching roles, then it becomes a consideration.

Also Read: Ashes: England batters lack technique to play Tests, says Ricky Ponting

“Working with a Test side, or working
with an ODI side is great. Listen, the England ODI side is set-up, you’re the
best ODI side in the world at the moment. It’s a project that has been
well-thought-out. You’ve got consistency in the players that have been picked.

“Your Test side has battled for a
while but it would be a really lovely project to get that going. I think it’s a
great project for someone to come in and take that Test side on. There’s a lot
that needs to be put in place to build this Test team out.”