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Bayliss calls for assistant Farbrace to get England T20 coaching role

February 20, 2018
England coach Trevor Bayliss, seen in this file photo, has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to consider hiring a specialist coach for their Twenty20 team.
England coach Trevor Bayliss, seen in this file photo, has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to consider hiring a specialist coach for their Twenty20 team.

LONDON — England coach Trevor Bayliss has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to consider hiring a specialist coach for their Twenty20 team and nominated his assistant Paul Farbrace for the role.

Bayliss, who said last month that he will not lead England beyond his current deal until 2019, reckons a coaching position for the shortest format should be considered as part of plans for the World T20 tournament in 2020.

When asked if a specific T20 coach should be in place before his departure, Bayliss said: "The short answer is probably 'yes'.

"Eventually you will have specialist coaches as well (as players). That will obviously be a discussion with higher levels, with (ECB director of cricket) Andrew Strauss and people like that.

"Obviously, Paul Farbrace, I think, would do a grand job. When I was a No. 2, years ago, a bloke said to me the role of the No. 2 is to make the No. 1 look good. I think he's done a good job in that respect."

England were knocked out of the T20 tri-series on Sunday after a win against New Zealand was not enough to proceed to the final against Australia in Auckland on Wednesday.

Bayliss said he has been considering stepping down as T20 coach because of the increasing demands of the job across the three formats. "From the start of May last year, I think we have 21 months of cricket out of 23 — and we're halfway through that," he added.

"It's tough and that's what we're paid for and we love doing it. But it doesn't make it any easier."

England will face host New Zealand in the first of a five-match One-Day International series on Sunday.

Meanwhile, New Zealand cricket (NZC) defended Eden Park Tuesday amid criticism the Auckland venue is too small to host international fixtures such as the T20 tri-series final.

The decider on Wednesday features New Zealand and Australia, who produced a run-fest at the same ground on Friday that left some purists fuming. A total of 488 runs were scored at 12.7 an over as the sides smashed 32 sixes before Australia completed a world-record run chase of 245 to claim a five-wicket win.

The sight of mis-hits sailing over the boundary for six prompted veteran Australian commentator Jim Maxwell to call the venue "a joke" that should not host international cricket.

Eden Park is best known as a rugby ground and its boundaries fall well short of the International cricket Council's 59.5-metre (65-yard) minimum.

The situation is allowed to stand because the Auckland stadium hosted international cricket before the ICC regulations were introduced in 2007.

NZC chief operating officer Anthony Crummy said the governing body "absolutely" backed Eden Park as a venue. "It's unique, you can't deny that, a lot of cricket grounds are," he told Radio Sport.

"We think it adds to the color of the international schedule when players have to adapt (to a smaller ground)."

Crummy also pointed out that Eden Park did not always produce high-scoring slog-a-thons, saying a number of matches there in recent years had been low-scoring, tight affairs.

"It hasn't failed to deliver great contest after great contest," he said. "When you look back, they're not always high scoring either. The fans certainly have a great time when they're there, we have great contests and we're happy with it." — Agencies


February 20, 2018
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