By Andy Hyslop
- His playing career was nothing to write home about
- Enjoyed success in International cricket with Sri Lankan
- Enjoyed success in limited overs cricket throughout his coaching career
The England squad are currently in Spain for a four-day pre-Ashes training camp, with the main objective of the camp, being getting to know their new coach Trevor Bayliss. We ask who is Trevor Bayliss?
Trevor Bayliss played for New South Wales between 1985 and 1997, he was a stroke playing middle-order batsmen and a brilliant cover fielder, who could bowl the odd over of right-arm off-spin but it’s as a coach that Bayliss has made his name.
After ending his playing career, Bayliss worked as a development officer for New South Wales and the second eleven for a number of years. In 2004 he got his opportunity to coach the New South Wales first team, replacing Steve Rixon. He led the state to the Pura Cup final (equivalent to County Championship in England) where they defeated Queensland by one wicket.
The following two seasons saw Bayliss leading New South Wales to victory in the ING Cup (50-over competition) in the 2005/06 season, then in his final season he once again led them to the Pura Cup final, this time losing out to Tasmanian Tigers.
August 2007 saw Bayliss replacing fellow Australian Tom Moody as the coach of the Sri Lankan national team. Bayliss’s first assignment in charge of the Sri Lankans, was the T20 World Cup in 2007, Sri Lanka won both of their group games, but only one win from three games in the super eight stage of the competition saw them eliminated. He first tasted success win the Sri Lankans when beat England 1-0 in a three-match test series in Sri Lanka.
Up until the 2008 Asia Cup, Sri Lanka’s one-day performances hadn’t been the best, but after winning both their group games in the competition they qualified for the super fours stage of the tournament. They won two games and lost one, meaning they qualified for the final where they played India. Bayliss saw his Sri Lankan team winning the final by 100 runs as he guided them to their fourth Asia Cup success.
In 2009 while on tour in Pakistan with the Sri Lankan team, terrorists opened fire on the Sri Lankan team bus, with several of the Sri Lankan players suffering minor injuries. It was reported at the time that Bayliss had also suffered minor injuries in the attack, but these reports turned out to be false.
Bayliss then led Sri Lanka to the finals of the next two world competitions, firstly the 2009 T20 World Cup in England, there yhey lost out to Pakistan by eight wickets in the final of this competition. Then he guided them to the final of the 2011 World Cup (50 overs), where they faced hosts India in the final. Sadly for Sri Lanka and Bayliss they couldn’t win this one either, losing by six wickets. Bayliss left his position as Sri Lanka coach after the World Cup final defeat.
After leaving his post with the Sri Lankans, Bayliss returned to Australia to take charge of the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash (Australian T20 competition) for the 2011/12 season. He saw his crowned champions of the Big Bash, and they qualified for the 2012 T20 Champions League. They reached the final and played South African team Highveld Lions, winning the game by ten wickets to be crowned champions.
Following his success with Sydney he was also appointed coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (Indian T20 competition). He once again tasted success as the Knight Riders reached the final and defeated defending champions Chennei Super Kings to be crowned champions. Sadly he couldn’t guide the Knight Riders to Champions League success as they knocked in the group stages after only winning one game.
He continued as the coach of both Sydney and Kolkata, and was unable to win the Big Bash again, seeing his team being knocked in the semi-finals in 2013/14 then losing in the final to Perth Scorchers in 2014/15. Whilst in the Indian Premier League, his Kolkata team could only finish seventh in the 2013 competition, but in 2014 they were once again crowned champions once again, this time beating Kings XI Punjab.
On May 26th 2015, Bayliss was confirmed as England’s new head coach, a position that sees him being reunited with Paul Farbrace, who will be his assistant coach with England, a position he held with Sri Lanka during Bayliss’s time in charge of them.
Bayliss is seen as coach who will very much stay in the background, letting his players do the talking on and off the pitch. He is seen as an old school style of coach in that way – it won’t be about him, it’s about whatever’s best for the England Cricket team. He is typically Australian in the way he wants his teams to play cricket, he likes to see his teams playing positive attacking cricket.
As Bayliss spends the next four days in Spain, getting to know his players, especially captain Alastair Cook, I’m sure he’ll be telling them, it’s down to you guys to perform on the pitch, he is just there to help play to the best of their ability.
Once England and Bayliss return from their pre-Ashes training, we’ll only have to wait a few days before England name their squad for the first Ashes test, which takes place at Cardiff and begins on July 8th.