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.

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.”