Whether England will allow the new coach to work in the IPL is one of many unanswered questions at the stage. A head coach working in the tournament would allow England to get a highly regarded figure, and also make it easier to afford their salary. But it could also bring risks of a conflict of interest, with a coach also working in the IPL facing England players in the tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara, currently head coach of Rajasthan Royals – Buttler’s IPL franchise – could be a potential candidate. Others could include Mike Hussey, who worked as a consultant during the successful 2022 T20 World Cup and is currently head coach of Welsh Fire. Former Test player Jonathan Trott, who led Afghanistan to the semi-finals of this year’s T20 World Cup, would be an outside contender if an English coach is favoured. Andrew Flintoff, who has worked as a consultant in the white-ball set-up and has just begun his first professional head-coach role with Northern Superchargers, is considered highly unlikely to be appointed to the role at this time.
England could appoint Mott’s successor before they meet Australia in three T20s and five one-day internationals in September, but they will not rush the decision.
The next global event is the Champions Trophy, which will be played next February. The tournament is the least important ICC event, making now an ideal time to make a change in the build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, in India and Sri Lanka, and the 2027 ODI World Cup, in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Mott, who came to England after enjoying great success with the Australia women’s team, very rarely had access to his best side outside of world events, leaving him to field an understrength side as the Test side was prioritised. Overall, England won only 12 ODIs, while losing 18, against Test opposition under his reign. In all T20s with Mott as head coach, England won 20 games against Test nations while losing 19.
Following fierce criticism during the ODI World Cup, the regime made significant shifts before this year’s T20 World Cup. David Young, the Manchester City psychologist, was recruited to improve communication within the squad, while Kieron Pollard joined as a consultant to provide local knowledge.
But while England reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, they only beat one Test nation – West Indies – and crashed to a 68-run defeat to India in the semi-final in Guyana. They were heavily attacked for their tactical approach in the game, after they selected four seamers on a wicket renowned for helping spin.
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