England is 0-2 down in the five-Test series of the 2021-22 Ashes against Australia. As pressure mounts on head coach Chris Silverwood, he still feels he is the right man for the job. Here's how.
It has been a treacherous ride for England so far. In the opening two Tests of the Ashes 2021-22 against Australia so far, it has fluttered and trails 0-2 in the five-Test series. As it looks to do the impossible and turn the tide around to win the series, pressure is high on English head coach Chris Silverwood. However, he still insists that he is the right man at the helm.
Silverwood has been criticised for his selection goof-ups, as he had left out veteran pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the opening Test at the Gabba in Brisbane for spinner Jack Leach. Also, he rested Leach on a dry Adelaide Oval track while England had to rely on part-time spinners Joe Root, Dawid Malan, and even Ollie Robinson. However, he has insisted that he could still stick to the same XI.
"There is always going to be a divided opinion. You pick a team, and not everybody's going to agree with you. I was happy with our skillset in the pink-ball Test. So, I would pick the same team again. We picked the best attack for those conditions, and you look at the attack we had out, there's a lot of experience. I was happy with that attack this game, and I was happy with that attack last game as well," Silverwood told reporters on Wednesday morning, reports ESPNCricinfo.
Describing if he is the right person at the helm right now, he certainly believed so. Silverwood backed his decisions so far, stating that they were taken accordingly, and he also feels that he has the right coaching staff around to make things happen. "When you take a job like this, you accept that. It is what it is. Do I believe I'm the right man? Yes, I do, or I wouldn't have taken the job in the first place. You're under pressure constantly, aren't you?" he wondered.
Silverwood further reckoned that England must pitch the ball up more to have wicket-taking chances. He stated that it was already discussed in the dressing room, and skipper Joe Root vouched for it. "We could have pitched it up further…potentially yes. But, look at the lengths both teams bowled. They were very similar," he concluded.