Reports: Kumar Sangakkara will become the head coach of white-ball cricket in England

It is possible that the England cricket team is preparing for an IPL reunion in order to restructure their coaching staff. According to recent reports, the Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, may be the front-runner to take Matthew Mott’s place as the English team’s head coach for white-ball cricket.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is purportedly seeking to make changes in response to underwhelming results in previous big competitions.

The board is likely to keep Jos Buttler as captain despite the fact that they did not make it to the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. But it looks like there will be a shift in leadership coaching soon.

With Sangakkara and Buttler back together, the setting would be similar to what it was when they were teammates with the Rajasthan Royals.

Sangakkara has been in charge of the Royals’ cricket operations since January 2021. During his tenure, the team made it to the 2022 IPL championship.

The English captain has thrived under his leadership, emerging as a vital member of the Royals and indicating a possible alliance on the global stage.

Still, there are other names in the mix besides the legend from Sri Lanka. According to reports, current Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott and former Australia batter Michael Hussey are also in the running.

Trott in particular has drawn a lot of attention for his achievements with Afghanistan, which include leading them to strong results in recent World Cups. Having been England’s batting coach from 2022 to 2023, Hussey is already acquainted with the lineup.

Interestingly, despite rumours regarding his role in the team’s future, former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is allegedly unlikely to be considered for the head coach position.

Also Read: Head coach Brendon McCullum is’satisfied’ with England’s improvement following a clean sweep against the West Indies

The ECB’s choice has significant implications for English cricket. While Brendon McCullum has been a successful coach for the Test team, the white-ball squads need a new strategy to take back the lead in limited-overs cricket.