Kumar Sangakkara breaks silence on conversations around him becoming next England White Ball Head Coach!!
Legendary Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara has finally broken silence on the prospect of being England's new white-ball head coach. The former wicketkeeper-batter believes that it is an 'exciting prospect for anyone.
Recently, Matthew Mott resigned from the role of England's white-ball head coach after England's below-par performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, where they were defeated in the semi-finals by India, the eventual champions.
Since the resignation of Mott, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been on the lookout for the next head coach. Till the new coach doesn't get appointed, Marcus Trescothick will take charge as the interim coach of the team.
Kumar Sangakkara opens up on the role of England's white-ball head coach
While speaking to the PA News Agency, Kumar Sangakkara cleared the air that he hasn't been approached for the role of England's white-ball head coach yet. He believes that the job is exciting but also feels that there are many good candidates for the role.
"Well, I know (my name) has been mentioned for some reason, but there has not been any approach as such. I think the England white-ball job is an exciting prospect for anyone, but there are so many good candidates out there," Sangakkara said.
The former Sri Lanka batter mentioned that he is satisfied with his current role with IPL team Rajasthan Royals. Sangakkara has been a regular feature in the Rajasthan Royals dressing room and has played a key role in the franchise's emergence over the past few years.
"I am very happy at the moment. The Rajasthan Royals experience has been very fulfilling and it has been a job I have really enjoyed over the last four years," Sangakkara added.
Kumar Sangakkara is currently the Director of Cricket and head coach of Rajasthan Royals. He has been in the role since 2021. In his tenure, Rajasthan Royals made it to the final in IPL 2022 but finished runners-up after losing to Gujarat Titans. In IPL 2024, Rajasthan Royals finished in third place in the points table.
Candidates for England's white-ball head coach
According to the reports, Andrew Flintoff, Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Hussey, and Jonathan Trott are some of the names that are being considered by the ECB for the role. Flintoff is currently the coach of Northern Superchargers in The Hundred Men's Competition 2024.
Jonathan Trott is currently serving as the head coach of the Afghanistan cricket team. In his tenure, Afghanistan has made rapid progress across formats. Meanwhile. Michael Hussey has previously worked with England's team in the T20 World Cup 2022 and is also a batting coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL.
Matthew Mott has been in charge of England's white-ball head coach since 2022. He remained in the position for two years. In his tenure, England had a poor time in ICC tournaments. In the ODI World Cup 2023, the Three Lions failed to reach the semi-finals and finished seventh in the points table.
