Chris Silverwood steps down as England men's cricket head coach following Ashes defeat

England head coach Chris Silverwood has stepped down following the team's meek surrender in the Ashes series against Australia.

Silverwood had come under pressure after England lost the five-Test series 4-0, with former skipper Mike Atherton calling for a complete overhaul of the England management.

The announcement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) came a day after Ashley Giles left his role as director of cricket.

«It's been an absolute honour to be England head coach, and I'm extremely proud to have worked alongside our players and staff,» Silverwood said.

«The last two years have been very demanding but I have really enjoyed my time with the team and working with Rooty [Test captain Joe Root] and Morgs [white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan], and I am very proud of this group considering the challenges.»

«In the coming days [English cricket administrator] Andrew Strauss will appoint a caretaker coach for the tour of the West Indies and will then consider the appropriate coaching structures to help England move forwards,» ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in a statement.

England has reinvented itself as a white-ball powerhouse since its early exit from the 2015 World Cup, winning the 2019 tournament on home soil.

But its record in the longest format of the game has been less impressive, with the final Ashes loss in Hobart marking a 15th consecutive Test in Australia without a win.

Reuters