News Sports Cricket From getting sacked by England team to guiding Sri Lanka to Asia Cup title; Story of Silverwood's redemption

From getting sacked by England team to guiding Sri Lanka to Asia Cup title; Story of Silverwood's redemption

In the Asia Cup 2022, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the final to lift the trophy. When most of the fans predicted either India or Pakistan to win the tournament, the Dasun Shanaka-led team surprised everyone.

Silverwood Image Source : TWITTERChris Silverwood in action

Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood who recently guided the team to the Asia Cup 2022 victory was sacked by the England team after humiliation a few months ago.

Silverwood's journey started as a cricketer of the England team, when he made his international debut in the ODI against Zimbabwe on 15 December 1996. On the same tour, he made a Test debut and scalped four wickets. He finished his international career with six Tests and seven ODIs.

  • Why was Silverwood sacked from the England team?

Silverwood joined as the England bowling coach in the year 2018. Following the departure of Trevor Bayliss, he was announced as the head coach of the team in October 2019.

However, Silverwood failed to bring success to England. He was criticized for poor decisions in the Ashes 2021-22 when England lost by 4-0.  The decisions included batting first, not selecting James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the first Test, and not selecting Jack Leach in the second Test match. Following this, he faced humiliation and was sacked in February 2022 from the position.

  • Silverwood and Sri Lanka:

Silverwood's journey with Sri Lanka started in April 2022 when he was appointed as the head coach of the island nation. He replaced Mickey Arthur as a full-time coach for a period of two years.

In the Asia Cup 2022, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the final to lift the trophy for the sixth time. When most of the fans predicted either India or Pakistan to win the tournament, the Dasun Shanaka-led team's all-round performance surprised everyone.

“Great thing is at any given point everybody puts their hands up. Just had to get a method. Had confidence in the talent in the team. Came in with a very young seam attack, seeing them perform has been superb. It’s not right to pick one person out, it’s been a team effort,” coach Silverwood said after the game.

From humiliation to glory, Silverwood thus attained redemption in his journey.