England sack Chris Silverwood and line up interim head coach following disastrous Ashes defeat in Australia

England have sacked head coach Chris Silverwood in the wake of the team’s embarrassing defeat to Australia in the Ashes.

England’s winter tour of Australia could hardly have gone any worse, with Joe Root’s side hammered 4-0 and only avoiding a whitewash as they clung on for a draw in the fourth Test in Sydney.

Only one England player scored a century and the side failed to reach 300 in all ten of their innings and were bowled out for less than 200 six times.

The bowlers did not fare much better; Mark Wood the only member of the pace attack to leave Australia having enhanced their reputation as Justin Langer’s side scored at least 400 in four of the five Tests.

Silverwood was keen to carry on in the role despite the emphatic defeat but England have decided to make a change, with the Yorkshireman overseeing 10 defeats in his last 14 Test matches.

England return to red-ball action with a three-match Test series in the West Indies in March.

Silverwood made a bright start to his career as England men’s head coach, overseeing an impressive 3-1 win in South Africa at the start of 2020.

Later that summer, England beat West Indies and Pakistan at home in behind-closed-doors matches as coronavirus spread across the country.

But England’s struggles in Asia were once again exposed in a 3-1 defeat to India last year and the side suffered a rare home defeat to World Test champions New Zealand at the start of last summer.

India were 2-1 up over England when they left the country due to Covid fears in September and Silverwood’s side were completely outplayed in the Ashes.

Former England captain Michael Atherton was among those who felt a change of coach was needed following the Ashes humiliation.

‘It was the tour from hell for England and there