Rob Key revolution begins as he aims to revive England Test team

Rob Key sympathised with Ashley Giles when he spoke at Lord’s on Thursday, acknowledging the challenge his predecessor had faced with the global pandemic. The new director of England men’s cricket is starting a great repeal of his policies and coaching structure, however, with the ailing Test team given immediate priority.

After a single all-format coach under Giles, one lumped with selection in the final throes of the old regime, come two as-yet unnamed head coaches for Test and white-ball cricket; budgets permitting, separate coaching teams too. Key said the two chiefs will probably rarely cross paths and the search for a new national selector, a role described as “antiquated” by Giles after making Ed Smith redundant last year, is also under way.

Split head coaches should probably have come sooner but then Giles was burned back in the day, the junior white-ball partner to Andy Flower’s Test supremo from late 2012 to early 2014. Giles felt he got second dibs on resources, Flower power was ultimately at its greatest and, by the end, after England were whitewashed in the Ashes and flunked a World T20 in Bangladesh, both men at least agreed it hadn’t worked.

Key, however, is prepared to try again and looking ahead to next winter – a solid block of touring from September to March that features trips to Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and the small matter of a T20 World Cup in Australia – his hand has practically been forced. Communication will be a paramount and Key will play King Solomon if there is a dispute over who gets what. It is clear the Test side will come first after last year’s well-intended but inflexible rotation shemozzle.

“We know that the T20 World Cup is there on the schedule,” said Key. “But at the