Job number one is helping Joe Root, says Chris Silverwood
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England’s newly appointed head coach Chris Silverwood believes that one of the most important jobs to do at the moment is to increase the confidence of Joe Root. England’s Test captain lately has been under scrutiny with many doubting his captaincy post their Ashes debacle in home conditions.
Silverwood impressed the ECB with both his coaching skills and man-management skills, as the board appointed him as Trevor Bayliss' successor for England. Winning the Urn back from the Aussies is something that Silverwood has set his eyes on immediately. He believes that Joe Root has a lot to offer as England captain and that he deserves all kinds of support available.
"Job number one is helping Joe -- we've got a lot of support around Joe, but to keep moving forward so that in two years' time we can go to Australia and make a real impact," Silverwood said on Thursday (October 10) in the press conference post his appointment as head coach.
"I think (there's a good) relationship between myself and the two captains (Root and Eoin Morgan), and I've got a strong relationship with all the players and backroom staff," he further added.
England have had grave problems in their batting order, which were exposed by a potent Australian bowling attack in the recently concluded Ashes. One of the main reasons Silverwood has been appointed is to work with the batsmen on their technique and also on the mental side of things. He believes that it is important to find appropriate batting positions for appropriate batsmen.
"The step up, obviously there's going to be a lot more responsibility, obviously I've got to deal with you guys [the media] a lot more, which is fine, that is something I will feel my way into, but from a relationship point of view, not a lot will change," he said. "I will have to step back a little bit, but equally, I want them to know I am available and accessible to them as well," he added.
Graham Thorpe is expected to join Silverwood’s coaching staff as a batting coach and Paul Collingwood is also likely to join his team. Silverwood believes he has the right staff to take things forward. Having no international coaching experience, question marks were raised by former players like Kevin Pietersen over his appointment.
His first assignment will be England’s tough away tour to New Zealand. He is confident about creating a positive impact on the team and helping the batsman get the mental demons out of their head to play free-flowing cricket.
"I've already got some very good coaches around me, which is key for me as well, and some good people out there to give advice, but equally we'll be looking to put the right people in the right places in that batting line-up and push the Test team forward," he signed off.
