The contenders to replace Chris Silverwood as England coach

Chris Silverwood’s reign as England head coach is over following a dismal Ashes as Australia retained the urn within 12 days of cricket before closing out a 4-0 series win.

Here, the PA news agency assesses possible applicants for one of the hottest and most onerous jobs in world cricket.

The former South Africa batter has a compelling coaching CV. He was at the helm as the Proteas reached the top of the world Test rankings in 2012, a year after guiding India to a coveted World Cup crown. He missed out the last time the England job was up for grabs after botching the interview and being leapfrogged by Silverwood but has already indicated an interest in coming back to the table, if red and white-ball coaching duties were split.

The New Zealander would be something of an understated choice, lacking the gravitas of some of the other potential contenders, but he has a proven track record as coach of an international team. Hesson, alongside captain Brendon McCullum, were instrumental as the Black Caps became a force to be reckoned with, reaching the 2015 World Cup final and playing an exciting brand of cricket. The pair arguably laid the foundations for the Kiwis’ continuing success. Hesson left the role in June 2018 and is probably one of the more attainable targets on the list.

The former South Africa batter has a compelling coaching CV. He was at the helm as the Proteas reached the top of the world Test rankings in 2012, a year after guiding India to a coveted World Cup crown. He missed out the last time the England job was up for grabs after botching the interview and being leapfrogged by Silverwood but has already indicated an interest in coming back to the table, if red and white-ball coaching duties were split.

One of