Marcus Trescothick says he is excited about the opportunity to lead Englands’s white-ball squad into the upcoming series against Australia.
The former England player is currently the lead batting coach for the Test team and will take on a short-term role for the white-ball side after the Daily Telegraph reported Andrew Flintoff’s consultancy work would not continue following the failure of him and white-ball captain Jos Buttler to gel during the T20 World Cup in June.
Trescothick will be given the chance to put together his own coaching staff for the three T20Is and five ODIs against Australia next month, live on Sky Sports.
“It is not something I ever thought about before until I got this opportunity now,” Trescothick said when asked about his longer-term ambitions for the role.
“I am not necessarily thinking any further ahead than the end of the Australia series.
“I have very much been focused on the job that we are doing here.
“You kind of plan your winter, you go to Pakistan then New Zealand so I am so ingrained in that at the moment that I have not sat down and said this is where I am going to go, this is what I will try to do.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity, for sure. I am excited about doing the job. Then we will work it out a little bit more from there.”
Flintoff, who has spent the past year working with the white-ball team, had previously been tipped as a potential successor to the recently departed head coach Matthew Mott.
Trescothick will now have to balance his Test role alongside his white-ball job as England also prepare for a winter Test tour in Pakistan, starting in October this year.
“I’ll be managing my time the same. Obviously, I am in here for a period of time and then get ready for the white-ball series starting on the 11th,” Trescothick added.
“It is just various conversations behind the scenes with coaches and staff and people like that and making sure we get it right.”
Harry Brook can’t quite believe it as Prabath Jayasuriya produces a sensational jaffa delivery to remove the England batter.
England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith has impressed the selectors with his glovework and batting and appears a suitable candidate for the upcoming white-ball series too.
Smith made his debut during England’s 3-0 Test victory over West Indies last month where he hit a half-century and took vital catches behind the stumps.
The 24-year-old now looks primed for the aggressive brand of cricket that England also play under Buttler’s captaincy.
England have lost their T20 and 50-over World Cup titles over the past two years and a revamped side is to be expected with the Champions Trophy taking place in Pakistan early next year.
Chris Woakes is clean-bowled by Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya who produces his second jaffa wicket of the day!
England are expected to name a squad on Monday for their multi-format series against Australia.
Smith also scored a half-century on day two of England’s ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka to help his side edge to an advantage of 23 runs after play was abandoned due to rain.
“We have seen enough of Smith playing for Surrey in the T20 competitions and the way he has come in and taken to international cricket is probably the most important part of that,” Trescothick said.
“He just seems very suited to playing international cricket.
“It depends if he can play in the white-ball side because England have got a busy schedule doing this and obviously the two series very closely overlap.
“Whether he plays some of it or all of it I don’t know. We will wait and see what squad we are going to pick.”
Watch the third day of England’s first Test against Sri Lanka, from Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am on Wednesday (11am first ball).
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
