Ashley Giles talks about applying to be England Team Director and looks back at the tour of Australia
By Rob Barnett
Ashley Giles has said he intends to apply for the role of England Team Director vacated by Andy Flower.
Giles has been England ODI and T20 Head Coach since November 2012 and wants to take on the senior position that Flower had filled since 2009 until stepping down on Friday.
Former England spinner Giles enjoyed early success in the job by overseeing his country’s passage to the final of the Champions Trophy last June.
However, his charges have since lost series to Australia in both limited-overs formats as they prepare for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.
“It’s one of the biggest jobs in cricket and I’d apply for it because I want to do it,” Giles said.
“As someone who was very proud to play for England, I’ve been proud to coach the one-day side and to do the whole job would be a fantastic opportunity.
“But it’s hard work as well and, as I’ve said before, we’ve got a lot of hard work to do before whoever’s announced as the next head coach of this side to get them in shape for the World Cup.”
Giles’ immediate focus is on choosing a squad for the World T20, which starts in mid-March, and England’s limited-overs series with West Indies beginning later this month.
Speaking in Sydney today, Giles explained he has not yet made an application to new Managing Director - England Cricket Paul Downton.
"I've not given him my CV yet," he said. "At the end of the day I think it’s important that I control what is coming up in the next couple of months.
"If I have to put an application in over the next couple of weeks, then I'll think about that and get it done.
"Results will talk as well and I've got a really big series in the West Indies and more importantly the World Cup in Bangladesh.
"Our record in the sub-continent for limited-overs cricket isn't brilliant so it is a good challenge.
"We're pretty much at base level right now. We’ve got a lot of work to do and before that we’ve got a lot of talking to do about which squad we take, which 15 guys we take to give us the best chance."