'He’s got a great cricket brain' - Nasser Hussain wants Ricky Ponting to replace Chris Silverwood as England's head coach

Saying England endured a tough time in the recently-concluded Ashes series would be an understatement. The Joe Root-led side hardly had any pleasant moment in the series as Australia walked away with a 4-0 triumph, retaining the Ashes urn. The Three Lions received massive criticism for their disastrous show and England Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to take some major steps to avoid such failures.

Speaking on this regard, former England captain Nasser Hussain advised ECB to appoint ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting as the head coach of the national team. Not often you will see an Englishman batting for an Aussie’s inclusion in the national team set-up. However, considering the current situation, Hussain feels Ponting would be the right man to take England team forward.

Too many mistakes have made Chris Silverwood accountable: Nasser Hussain

“I like Chris Silverwood and half his reign has come in Covid-19 bubbles. I’ve got a lot of sympathy for that… But too many mistakes have been made and Silverwood is accountable because of the extra responsibility he has for selection. You can look at the system but county cricket doesn’t make you bat first at Brisbane and leave (Stuart) Broad and (James) Anderson out on a green Gabba pitch,” Hussain said on SportMail.

Meanwhile, England’s current coach Chris Silverwood had said that he is a good coach and wants to continue in the role. However, his position is under scrutiny after the Ashes debacle. Hussain certainly believes the former Australian skipper the perfect replacement for Silverwood.

“You can’t take the same management team to the Caribbean and tell them to carry on as if nothing has happened. With a heavy heart I say move away from Silverwood,” he added.

“An alternative? I like Ricky Ponting. Everything I see about him impresses me. He might not have a lot of international coaching experience but he’s got a great cricket brain. There are a few out there — unfortunately, not many of them English. If Ponting is available he’d be perfect. He cares about cricket and cricketers, he knows the game inside out and has gravitas,” said Hussain further.