LONDON: Australia’s Trevor Bayliss may have overtaken compatriot Jason Gillespie in the race to be the new permanent head coach of England, according to media reports on Monday.

Yorkshire coach Gillespie was widely expected to get the job to replace the recently-sacked Peter Moores but new England cricket director Andrew Strauss has opted for Bayliss who led Sri Lanka to the 2011 World Cup final.

Gillespie was appointed as coach of English county champions Yorkshire by Colin Graves, now the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“The ECB have said they’re speaking to their preferred candidate,” the 40-year-old Gillespie told Sky Sports. “I’ve spoken to Andrew Strauss and I’m not that preferred candidate. So that’s fine.

“It would have been a good job to have, there are exciting times ahead for English cricket and it would have been a great challenge but it’s not be,” the former Australia fast bowler added.

“As I’ve said I’ve got a wonderful job with Yorkshire and with Adelaide Strikers and I’m looking forward to continuing that work.”

Bayliss has also coached Australian state side New South Wales and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

Paul Farbrace, who worked as assistant coach to Bayliss with Sri Lanka, was put in charge of the England team for the current two-Test series against New Zealand after Moores was sacked.

The 52-year-old Bayliss guided New South Wales to two domestic first-class Sheffield Shield titles in Australia. He is also a former colleague of Farbrace, the pair having worked together with Sri Lanka.

Australia great Shane Warne said Bayliss would be a good choice for the England job.

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

“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, New South Wales, Big Bash.”

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2015

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