Paul Collingwood has been appointed as the interim coach of the England squad as they prepare to face West Indies in a three-Test tour in March. Collingwood’s appointment comes a few days after Chris Silverwood stepped down from his role as head coach, following Ashley Giles, who resigned his position as England cricket director. Giles was the one who appointed Silverwood back in 2019. Both men left as a result of England’s dismal performance in the Ashes last December, where England lost 4-1.

Reacting to his appointment, Collingwood said, “I am genuinely excited to be leading the Test team for the tour of the Caribbean. I can’t wait to get started.” Speaking on the plans he has for the team, Collingwood noted that the upcoming Test would give England the chance to rebuild from what they had at the Ashes: “Having a challenging Test series against the West Indies straight off the back of the Ashes disappointment gives us a chance from now to reset and rebuild.

“My objective is to give players clarity, direction, and encouragement for them to start building something special.” The new Test squad is expected to be announced on Tuesday. Joe Root and Ben Stokes would retain their positions as captain and vice-captain, respectively.

Collingwood was an assistant coach under Silverwood and was part of England’s coaching crew at the T20 World Cup and Ashes. His appointment is only temporary, but he has the chance to prove himself if he can deliver a good result in next month’s Test.

England is doing all they can to effect changes in their team without drastically changing the structure. With Andrew Strauss as the new director and Collingwood as the new coach, it remains to be seen in what direction their performance would go.

Written by: Leon Osamor