Gillespie, Langer touted for England role

The likelihood of an Australian being at the helm of England for the forthcoming Ashes series increased overnight, with speculation mounting heavily that current coach Peter Moores’ sacking is imminent.

Reports in the UK press say Moores will be removed from the position as early as today (Saturday), with former England captain Andrew Strauss set to take on the position of the national team’s director of cricket.

Australia Test legends Jason Gillespie and Justin Langer are rumoured to be the favoured candidates to replace him.

Moores, who has coached England previously but lost the position in 2009 after a fallout with Kevin Pietersen, was appointed this time around following England's disastrous 2013-14 Ashes campaign, which prompted then head coach Andy Flower to step down.

England bowed out of the recent World Cup in the group stages before managing only a drawn Test series against West Indies, ranked eighth in the ICC standings.

In the lead-up to that series, incoming England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves said there would be “some enquiries” if England failed to beat the side from the Caribbean, and Moores could well be the victim of those enquiries.

There were conflicting reports as to whether Strauss’ appointment might again bring Alastair Cook’s tenure as captain under examination, while Irish-born Eoin Morgan’s standing as ODI captain is expected to come under the spotlight, with young batting gun Joe Root the man most likely to replace him.

Gillespie, appointed coach of Yorkshire by Graves in November 2011 and recently named to take over from Darren Berry at the Adelaide Strikers for the next KFC T20 Big Bash League season, has been spoken of as the front-runner for the position after he took Yorkshire from the second division to division one winners in the County Championship.

Cricket.com.au spoke with Australia coach Darren Lehmann this week, and he had no doubt his former state and national teammate could handle the highly-scrutinised role.

“‘Dizz’ (Gillespie) and I chat all the time,” Lehmann said. “Obviously he’s the Strikers coach, so for me it’s getting the low down of what he’s thinking with his players for the Strikers. “If that job (England head coach) becomes available … I’m sure Jason will go for it.

“Yeah he (Gillespie) could (coach England), but Peter’s there at the moment.”

How long that remains the case has been the subject of fevered speculation in the UK papers, with England’s two-Test series against New Zealand only 12 days away, beginning on May 21 at Lord’s, though assistant coach Paul Farbrace has been tipped to occupy a fill-in role throughout that period if Moores is indeed sacked.

Langer meanwhile, has turned around the fortunes of his native Western Australia since being appointed coach in November 2012, the same summer he took over the Scorchers.

The T20 outfit has won the last two Big Bash competitions while the Warriors won this season’s Matador One-Day Cup and have been runners-up in the Bupa Sheffield Shield for the past two seasons.

Langer is currently on personal leave after a hectic season with the Warriors but a WACA spokesperson told cricket.com.au: "Justin is an outstanding coach so it is not surprising - and is testament to his abilities - that he is often linked to speculation around international roles. he has been fantastic for WA cricket and is contracted to the WACA for the 2015-16 season."

England's ODI fixture with Ireland overnight was washed out, with only 18 overs of play possible.

The first Ashes Test is at Cardiff on July 8.