WHEN the Aussies take to the field in the Ashes later this year, the man responsible for plotting their downfall will be one of our own.
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Former Goulburnian Trevor Bayliss was on Monday appointed as the English cricket coach, edging out fellow Australian Jason Gillespie.
The NSW Blues and Sydney Sixers coach will have some intimate knowledge of the Australian side up his sleeve, with up to nine of his current charges in the Australian Ashes squad.
Bayliss will become the first Australian-born coach of the English set up, and despite a modest playing career for NSW, he has carved out an impressive coaching record across the world.
His achievements include taking Sri Lanka to the 2011 World Cup, leading a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2012 IPL title and more recently, taking NSW to a second Sheffield Shield title.
The 52-year-old briefly coached the Australian T20 side in November last year, taking them to a 2-1 victory over South Africa.
It’s understood that Bayliss will take control of England in all three formats of the game.
His aspirations for the England job are nothing new - Bayliss had made the final four interviewees for the England job just over 12 months ago, with the England and Wales Cricket Board choosing former national coach Peter Moores. Moores oversaw a disastrous period for English cricket, which saw them bundled out of the World Cup in the pool stages earlier this year.
England’s Goulburn connection could be further strengthened if opener Sam Robson, grandson of local cricket stalwart Ken, is called back into the national side.
The appointment has received the tick of approval from Australian spin legend Shane Warne, who on Monday night tweeted: “If Trevor Bayliss is the new coach of England, then England are very lucky, as he is a ripper & even better, he’s pure old school too…” The ECB have yet to confirm when Bayliss will take the reins.
