Marcus Trescothick Eyes England White-Ball Role Amidst Busy Schedule

Marcus Trescothick has expressed his enthusiasm about stepping up to lead England's limited-overs teams, following the departure of Matthew Mott in July. The former England opener, who is currently serving as the assistant coach for the Test team, will temporarily take charge for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.

The 48-year-old, who has been deeply involved with the Test setup alongside head coach Brendon McCullum, is now presented with a pivotal opportunity to make his case for the role on a permanent basis. Although Trescothick has not explicitly stated his desire for the full-time position, he did not dismiss the idea when asked.

"It's not something I ever thought about before, until I got this opportunity now," Trescothick said. "I’m not necessarily thinking any further ahead than the end of the Australia series. I’m really excited about doing the job. We’ll work it out a little bit more from there."

England are set to announce their squad on Monday for the series, which includes three T20s and five ODIs against Australia. The squad is expected to feature several new faces following England's disappointing performances in recent World Cups. The timing of the series, starting a day after the third Test against Sri Lanka concludes, means some players in the Test side will miss part of the limited-overs fixtures.

Trescothick’s role as assistant coach to McCullum in Test cricket and his potential new role in white-ball cricket poses a challenge, given the overlapping nature of England's cricket schedule. He acknowledged that his focus remains on the current Test commitments, including upcoming tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, but expressed excitement about the white-ball opportunity.

“I’ve been very much focussed on the job we’re doing here,” Trescothick explained. “You plan your winter. We’ve got Tests in Pakistan, then New Zealand, so I’m so ingrained in that at the moment. I’ve not really sat down and said ‘right, this is where I’ll try to go, this is what I’ll try to do’.”

The search for Mott’s permanent successor is underway, with England working with a recruitment firm. There is no set timeline for appointing a new coach, but the team will prepare for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year, and also has a white-ball series against the West Indies in November.

Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka batter and current IPL coach, has expressed interest in the role, describing it as an "exciting prospect." Andrew Flintoff, who has served as a consultant, will not be part of the Australia series but could be involved in future roles.

One player who may feature in the white-ball squad is Jamie Smith, the young wicketkeeper who impressed with an unbeaten 72 in the first Test against Sri Lanka. Trescothick praised Smith’s suitability for international cricket and hinted that he could be included in the squad, though final decisions will depend on the forthcoming selection discussions.

"He just seems very suited to playing international cricket," Trescothick said of Smith. "Whether he plays some of or all of the Australia series, I don’t know. We’ll wait and see and work out what squad we’re going to pick."