New Delhi, Aug 23 Marcus Trescothick, the interim head coach of England, is open to taking the full-time coaching role of the white-ball teams as he is looking forward to the opportunity.
Currently, Trescothick's tenure will last till the T20I and ODI series against Australia next month but the former opener is looking beyond his interim role with England's white-ball set-up
Trescothick, one of England's assistant coaches, is currently working with the Test team during their series against Sri Lanka. He will depart during the third Test at The Oval to join the white-ball squads, which are set to be announced next week. Trescothick will then head to the Utilita Bowl in Southampton ahead of the first T20I on September 11.
"It's not something I'd ever thought about before, until I got this opportunity now. I'm not necessarily thinking any further ahead than the end of the Australia series. I've been very much focused on the job we're doing here (with the Test team)," ESPNcricinfo quoted Trescothick as saying.
"You plan your winter: we're off to Pakistan, then New Zealand. I'm so ingrained in that at the moment, I've not really sat down and said, 'right, this is where I'll try to go, this is what I'll try to do'. I'm looking forward to the opportunity, for sure. I'm really excited about doing the job. We'll work it out a little bit more from there," he added.
Trescothick has yet to serve as a head coach but has shown interest in stepping into that role. After retiring as a player in late 2019, he spent 18 months as an assistant coach at Somerset and has been part of England's coaching staff since early 2021.
Trescothick will play a role in team selection and maintains a strong relationship with Jos Buttler, who continues as the white-ball captain. The two have a history from their time at Somerset. Buttler, who has returned to full training after a calf injury forced him to miss the Hundred, may play for Lancashire in their T20 Blast quarter-final against Sussex on September 4.
England’s T20I series against Australia begins just 24 hours after the final day of their third and final Test against Sri Lanka, necessitating separate squads. However, Jordan Cox might be included in the T20I squad if he isn’t needed at The Oval. "They have a busy schedule," Trescothick commented, noting the close overlap between the two series.
The ECB has not yet officially advertised the white-ball head coach role left vacant by Matthew Mott’s sacking earlier this month. However, if England performs well against Australia, Trescothick could be a strong candidate. Kumar Sangakkara is seen as the early favorite but has not confirmed whether he will apply.
Andrew Flintoff, who coached the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred but missed out on the knockout stages due to net run rate, is also a potential contender. However, he will not be part of England’s coaching staff against Australia, with reports suggesting he has not "gelled" with Buttler.
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