Matthew Mott sacked as coach after England cricket’s white-ball failures

Matthew Mott has been sacked as head coach of the England men’s white-ball team following crisis talks with Rob Key over the weekend. The team’s assistant coach, Marcus ­Trescothick, has taken over on an interim basis to lead them through three T20s and five one-day ­internationals they will play against ­Australia in September.

Mott was appointed in May 2022 after a period of extraordinary success with Australia’s women’s team, and England won their first international tournament during his tenure, the T20 World Cup in Australia later that year. But results since then have been disappointing.

A shambolic defence of the 50-over World Cup in India last autumn, followed by patchy performances in the Caribbean as they reached the semi-finals of the T20 version last month, convinced Key, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s managing director of men’s cricket, that it was time for the team to move on.

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The ECB will hope to appoint a replacement before the start of another packed winter: ­England have white-ball tours ­scheduled in the West Indies in October and November and in India in January and February, while the next major international ­tournament is the Cham­pions Trophy, an eight‑team, 50-over competition scheduled to be played in Pakistan in February and March.

Jos Buttler, who was appointed ­England’s white-ball captain a month after Mott’s arrival following the retirement of Eoin Morgan, will remain in his role.

“After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead,” Key said. “This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team’s future success. With our focus ­shifting towards the ­Champions ­Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.”

In both white-ball formats England’s record since Mott’s arrival is not as good as it was before the Australian was appointed: they won 16 of the 34 completed ODIs played under Mott, a 47% win rate, when in the three years before his appointment they had won 18, or 64%, of their 28 games. They won 23 of 42 completed T20s under Mott, or 55%, down from 23 out of 38, or 61%, in the previous three years.

“We have put everything into ­trying to achieve success over the past two years, and I am incredibly proud of the character and passion that the team has displayed during that period, including a magnificent T20 World Cup victory in 2022,” Mott said. “I would like to thank the ­players, management, and everyone at the ECB for their commitment, support, and hard work during my time. I leave with many great friendships and incredible memories.”

Andrew Flintoff, a popular former player and great friend of Key who has recently taken up his first senior head coach role at Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, has been linked with the England white-ball role. But the ECB is likely to seek a candidate with more extensive experience, including involvement at the Indian Premier League.

“I am looking forward to ­working with Jos Buttler, the players and coaches over the next few weeks,” Trescothick said. “The focus is ­building towards the series against Australia and next year’s Champions Trophy. England cricket is in a strong position, and the potential is huge, given the quality we have available.

“It is about harnessing that potential and developing the work that has already been put in place by Matthew Mott and the rest of the set-up. I’m excited about the challenge and ­shaping how we want to play.”