England name Paul Collingwood as interim coach for West Indies Tests

Former all-rounder Paul Collingwood will take charge of England’s Test tour of the West Indies next month after being installed as interim head coach, cricket chiefs announced on Monday. The departures of head coach Chris Silverwood and assistant coach Graham Thorpe following England’s humiliating 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia left Collingwood as the highest-ranked member of the backroom team. Collingwood, who oversaw England’s recent 3-2 Twenty20 series defeat in the West Indies, will take charge for Tests in Antigua, Barbados and Grenada. The series starts on 8 March. The squad, which is likely to contain some new faces alongside the majority of the side that flopped in Australia, is set to be named on Tuesday. “I am genuinely excited to be leading the Test team for the tour of the Caribbean,” said the 45-year-old. “I can’t wait to get started. “Having a challenging Test series against the West Indies straight off the back of the Ashes disappointment gives us a chance from now to reset and rebuild. “Playing Test matches for England is the highest accolade in the game. My objective is to give players clarity, direction and encouragement for them to start building something special.” England’s red-ball side has struggled over the 12 months, winning just one of their past 14 Tests, and Collingwood must now begin the job of halting that sequence. “I have spoken to Joe Root and Ben Stokes (captain and vice-captain), and both are excited and passionate to take the team forward in this new cycle,” he said. “Although they know it won’t be easy, they have the desire and bravery to do things differently to ensure the team can prosper. We have an opportunity to get back on track.”