28 May 2015 | Cricket
On the 8th July, the SWALEC Stadium will host the first Investec Ashes Test of the summer and England will travel down to Cardiff full of optimism in winning back the urn with a new head at the helm following the appointment of Trevor Bayliss.
Bayliss has enjoyed huge success all around the world in all forms of the game having led the Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL success in 2012 and 2014 as well as leading Sri Lanka to the World Cup Final in 2011.
Hugh Morris, Chief Executive at Glamorgan and former ECB Managing Director believes Bayliss pedigree and success on the domestic and international stage is well worthy of his appointment as England's new head coach and wishes him all the best in his new role.
It's a great opportunity for Trevor he's got an excellent track record behind him, not just in Australia, but in Sri Lanka as well and domestically and internationally. He has a really good opportunity and a really good pedigree and like all England Cricket fans we wish him the best.
After England's 5-0 demolition in Australia in 2013/14 and the struggles English cricket have faced ever since, a fresh face in the changing room could be the lift England need after a difficult winter. With Bayliss being Australian, Hugh Morris believes that the knowledge and Australian influence Bayliss holds will be a huge benefit to the England team this summer and hopefully change their misfortune.
Having been involved in the appointment of coaches before the critical thing is to get the best person for the job and clearly Trevor has the ability, the knowledge and the experience to do that. I think it is a matter of professional pride as well to make sure he does a good job whoever he is coaching and I'm sure that he will rise to the challenge.
Over the last decade, England's performances in the shorter format of the game have been at a low contrast to the success in the Test arena. Bayliss has had an extremely successful time coaching in the shorter form of the game and despite Morris not knowing the details about his appointment he expects his successes in T20 competitions and 50 overs, domestically and internationally, isa strong factor in his appointment.
There is no doubt that for a long period of time, probably 20 years or so, England haven't performed as they should have done in 50 over cricket in particular. The experience that Trevor's got of 50 over cricket, I think will have counted definitely in his favour, you know he's had a great deal of success with Sri Lanka, took them to a World Cup final and he has had a lot of experience in Twenty20 cricket.
Tickets for the fifth day of the First Investec Ashes Test Match are currently available for £25 (which is fully refundable if no cricket is played) and there are also a number hospitality packages for anyone who wants to see the first four days' play in style. Select Ashes from the main navigation for more information