Marcus Trescothick has backed Jos Buttler as England’s white-ball captain but says the upcoming series against Australia presents an opportunity to test who plays as wicketkeeper.
England’s lead batting coach Test Trescothick will be interim head coach for September’s three T20Is and five one-day internationals – live on Sky Sports – following the departure of Matthew Mott at the end of July, with Brendon McCullum taking over the role from January.
Although England’s Cricket World Cup defense last October ended at the group stage and their performances have been questioned despite reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June, Trescothick has no doubt that former Somerset player Buttler is the right man to lead the team.
“I think he is,” said Trescothick Sky Sports. “The attributes he demonstrates behind the scenes are essential to leading this team.
“I came in just to try to improve as much as possible, to make him feel like this is the way the group will work, the way the team will develop in a different way to make the most of it. he is the captain.
“For whatever reason, it’s a difficult World Cup couple, maybe out of people who don’t like one-day cricket, but they’re still in a very good place and Jos will lead the way forward. time at the moment, and I don’t see that exchange.
“There are a lot of things we do well, so we have to build on it, improve it, and make it better as we go forward.”
Jos Buttler has been backed as England’s white-ball captain by interim head coach Marcus Trescothick
Trescothick confirmed that Buttler giving up wicketkeeping duties and playing only as a batter so he can focus on captaincy is something he is considering for the match against Australia.
Phil Salt is likely to take the gloves for the T20Is, while England Test star Jamie Smith will be an option for the ODIs, and Trescothick sees it as a viable option for the side to experiment with in the upcoming games.
“It’s something we’ve talked about and we’re open to the idea,” Trescothick said. “It’s definitely something we’ll think about because we can try different options.
“We can try it for a while, and see how the captain and the team react, whether it changes or makes it better or worse.
England Test wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in the ODI squad to face Australia
“It’s definitely something we can have a little go at.”
Whether he wants the interim head coaching position with the white-ball team to become permanent, Trescothick is waiting to see how things go when they clash with old rivals Australia.
The 48-year-old, who played 76 Tests and 123 ODIs for England, knows different demands will be placed on him compared to his role of overseeing Test batsmen and wants to complete the remaining series with Sri Lanka before thinking more about his future. .
“I’m not sure right now,” Trescothick said. “I’ve invested so much in the Test team and the role I’ve played in batting, I didn’t think too much until I got the chance.
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England interim head coach Marcus Trescothick said he will see how he likes the role before making a decision on his future and admitted he has no firm plans.
“At the moment, I’m still very focused on the batting thing with the Test team and I think I’ll let it play out over this period, see how I like doing the role of head coach and then move on from there really.
“I’m pretty open to the idea of ​​seeing what happens.”
England vs Australia fixtures – all games live on Sky Sports
- 1 T20 (September 11) – The Ageas Bowl, Southampton (starts at 6.30pm)
- 2nd T20 (September 13) – Sophia Park, Cardiff (from 6.30pm)
- 3 T20 (September 15) – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester (from 2.30pm)
- 1st ODI (September 19) – Trent Bridge, Nottingham (from 12.30pm)
- 2nd ODI (September 21) – Headingley, Leeds (from 11am)
- 3rd ODI (September 24) – Unique Riverside Chairs, Durham (from 12.30pm)
- 4th ODI (September 27) – Lord’s, London (from 12:30 p.m.)
- 5th ODI (September 29) – The Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (from 11am)
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