England head coach Trevor Bayliss will run the rule over some of the most promising talents in the county game while his assistant Paul Farbrace takes temporary charge of the team for the upcoming Twenty20 internationals against Australia and India, it was announced Friday.
One of the biggest criticisms of Bayliss since the Australian was appointed to the England job prior to the 2015 Ashes series is that he is worryingly unfamiliar with the domestic scene.
But Bayliss has repeatedly emphasised the fact that coaching an England side in all three international formats — Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s — leaves him with precious little time to do anything else, particularly given their packed programme in a home northern hemisphere summer and extensive annual off-season touring commitments.
But now Farbrace, who previously worked as Bayliss’s assistant when they were coaching Sri Lanka, will be in charge for Wednesday’s one-off Twenty20 against Australia at Edgbaston and the three-match home T20 series with India early next month.
That will allow Bayliss a fortnight in which to observe the England Lions — the national A side — in the remainder of their 50-over Tri-series with India A and West Indies A, as well as letting him attend the domestic 50-over One-Day Cup final between Hampshire and Kent at Lord’s on June 30.
Meanwhile Bayliss will look to guide England to their first 5-0 ODI sweep of his native Australia when an ongoing series concludes at Old Trafford on Sunday.
