England head coach Chris Silverwood has stepped down following the team's woeful Ashes series loss in Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday (February 3).
Silverwood had come under the scanner after England’s 4-0 drubbing in the Ashes 2021-22, with former skipper Michael Atherton calling for a complete overhaul of the team management.
His departure came a day after Ashley Giles was sacked from his role of England managing director men's cricket.
"It's been an absolute honour to be England head coach, and I'm extremely proud to have worked alongside our players and staff," Silverwood said in a statement issued by ECB.
"The last two years have been very demanding but I have really enjoyed my time with the team and working with Rooty (Test captain Joe Root) and Morgs (white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan), and I am very proud of this group considering the challenges."
Commenting on Silverwood’s tenure, ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said: “During his time in the role Chris has given absolutely everything to make a success of it. He is a man of great integrity, who players and staff alike have enjoyed working with.
“Under Chris, England Men's white ball teams have been ranked first and second in the world while he also led the Test team to a number of series wins including away in South Africa and Sri Lanka.
“He has led the England Men’s team with great resilience and empathy through an incredibly challenging period for English cricket, and he deserves our sincere thanks and gratitude.
Former England skipper Andrew Strauss has replaced Giles on an interim basis and will appoint a caretaker coach for the upcoming tour of West Indies in March.
"In the coming days Andrew Strauss will appoint a caretaker coach for the tour of the West Indies and will then consider the appropriate coaching structures to help England move forwards," Harrison said.
Silverwood took charge of the England team as head coach in 2019, after the drawn Ashes campaign at home. He enjoyed some success initially, guiding the side to a 3-1 Test series win in South Africa and 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka.
However, England endured a horrible summer at home, losing the Test series to New Zealand and trailing 2-1 to India with the fifth and final Test being cancelled due to COVID-19. The humiliating Ashes loss was the final nail in the coffin and Silverwood eventually paid the price.
During his stint, England’s white-ball team retained their top position in the T20I rankings and No. 2 spot in ODIs. However, they failed to win the only ICC trophy in this period, T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE, losing to New Zealand in the semi-final after dominating the group stage.
