Shane Warne backs surprise England selection Trevor Bayliss as coach

ENGLAND is on the verge of appointing an Aussie to lead them in the Ashes and Shane Warne believe it’s made the right choice.

Shane Warne all smiles in the nets during the Australian team training session for the World Cup Semi Final tomorrow night.Picture Gregg Porteous

AUSTRALIA’S Trevor Bayliss is in negotiations with the England and Wales Cricket Board about becoming England’s new head coach, with Jason Gillespie out of the running.

Gillespie had been regarded as the favourite to replace the recently sacked Peter Moores.

The former Australia fast bowler is currently the coach of English county champions Yorkshire and was appointed to that role by Colin Graves, now the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

But reports out of Australia and Britain stated talks were already underway between the ECB and Bayliss.

Gillespie also confirmed he was no longer in contention for the position.

“I’ve spoken to Andrew Strauss and I’m not the preferred candidate, so that’s their call,” Gillespie told Sky Sports News.

“I’d hardly say I’m disappointed. But I think it would have been a good job to have, no question.

“There’s exciting times ahead for English cricket and it would have been a great challenge, but it’s not to be.

Trevor Bayliss is set to become the new coach of England.

The 52-year-old Bayliss guided NSW to two domestic first-class Sheffield Shield titles in Australia and was Sri Lanka’s coach when it reached the 2011 World Cup final.

He is also a former colleague of current England caretaker coach Paul Farbrace, the pair having worked together with Sri Lanka.

The ECB have made no official statement as yet but if Bayliss gets the job he will be coaching against his native country when England face Australia in an Ashes series, starting in Cardiff in July.

If Trevor Bayliss is the new coach of England, then England are very lucky, as he is a ripper & even better, he's pure old school too...

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) May 25, 2015

Australian legend Shane Warne said Bayliss would be a good choice for the England job.

“I know him well,” Warne told Sky Sports.

“He’s done a wonderful job, on all the reports, with the teams he’s coached — whether it be Sri Lanka, the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL (Indian Premier League), New South Wales, Big Bash.” The former leg-spinner added: “I think he’s more of a ‘background’ sort of coach, a bit like the New Zealand camp.

“He’s not front and square all the time, (but) he’s not afraid to give a few rockets when they’re needed.

“He’s a good man, Trevor Bayliss, a really good man.”