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Coach poach: England lure Mott to lead white-ball sides

Popular mentor who helped take Australian women's team to new heights appointed coach of the England men's ODI and T20I sides

One of Australian cricket's most successful coaches has crossed enemy lines, with England confirming they have poached Matthew Mott to lead their men's limited-overs teams.

Mott, who has taken the all-conquering Australian women's team to new heights during a trophy-laden seven-year tenure, has been announced coach of England's men's T20I and ODI sides on a four-year contract.

England's new cricket supremo Rob Key has split the red- and white-ball jobs and last week appointed Brendon McCullum to the Test role after Chris Silverwood stood down following last summer's Ashes series defeat in Australia.

Mott had signed a contract extension with Cricket Australia last year that was set to take him through until next year's Ashes, but the Meg Lanning-captained side is now without a permanent head coach ahead of their Commonwealth Games appearance in Birmingham in July-August.

Image Id: 676F8BE8040843AF94DD1E8F68CA03FC Image Caption: 'What he has done with Australia is what will be asked of him (with England)' // Getty

Assistant Shelley Nitschke will take the reins on an interim basis for both the Games and the preceding tri-series in Northern Ireland, but a recruiting timeline for Mott's full-time replacement is not yet known.

"It was always going to take something special to leave the role that I have loved for the past seven years with the Australian Women's team," said Mott, whose first matches in charge will come in a three-game ODI series in the Netherlands next month.

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"However, I genuinely believe that the time is right to play a role in helping the England Men's ODI and T20 group continue to evolve as one of the best teams in the world."

Mott added that he is still coming to terms with the recent death of his childhood friend and former Queensland teammate Andrew Symonds.

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"The support of his beautiful family and close friends in the coming days will be vitally important, so I respectfully request some time to process his passing and the immense loss before making any further comment on the role at this stage," he said.

The 48-year-old takes the reins of a formidable limited-overs outfit ably led by innovative captain Eoin Morgan. England's men are the reigning 50-over world champions after their 2019 World Cup triumph, while their T20 side is ranked second in the world.

His first major challenge will be this year's T20 World Cup in Australia where England will be desperate to improve on their semi-final exit at last year's ICC event in the UAE.

"(W)hat he has done with the Australian women's team is what will be asked of him to achieve for our men's white-ball sides," said Key.

Few Australian cricket coaches have achieved as much as Mott, or had as much influence on the culture of a side over a prolonged period.

A Sheffield Shield-winning batter who played for Queensland and Victoria, the Gold Coast product took over the Australian job in 2015 following stints in men's cricket with the national under-19s program, NSW and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Blessed with a golden generation of talent, Mott has helped the Aussie women win three World Cups during his tenure – two in T20s (in 2018 and 2020) before lifting the ODI silverware in March.

Australia have not lost an Ashes series on his watch, while the team also notched a world record 26 consecutive ODI victories as they successfully avenged their shock 2017 50-over World Cup semi-final defeat.

The 2020 T20 World Cup final triumph over India that saw a record 86,174 fans flock to the MCG highlighted the spectacular growth of women's cricket and the popularity of the Australian team.

Image Id: 3D00CF6D28FE4DC8A29929C6D5FCFEE0 Image Caption: Mott led Australia to the 2020 T20 World Cup title in front of a record MCG crowd // Getty

"Seeing so many young girls and boys at the final, just being inspired by this team, it feels bigger than cricket," Mott told cricket.com.au in 2020.

In addition to honing the games of now household names like Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy, Mott has also nurtured a surge of emerging talent that has made the country's women's programs the benchmark for world cricket.

Players like Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner and Megan Schutt have all become genuine stars under his leadership.

Embracing a 'fearless' mantra in the aftermath of their "embarrassing" 2017 Cup exit proved a seminal moment.

"When you’re used to success and people are expecting success and it doesn’t turn out like that, it can be quite confronting," he said in 2020.

"It is one we all look back on now and go, ‘that was the moment where we actually looked inside and looked at our team, warts and all’."

Mott insisted he was leaving Australian cricket with a "heavy heart".

“Not all coaches get to leave on a high and I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for everyone who has helped me in this amazing experience over my tenure with this great team," he said.

“This playing group is led magnificently by a number of players, including Meg and Rach(el Haynes), who have together helped forge a culture which will thrive for many years to come. I wish the team all the best and look forward to seeing them grow what’s become an incredible legacy."

Mott said he's looking forward to working McCullum as England revert to dual red- and white-ball coaches, a move they trialled a decade ago with Ashley Giles and Andy Flower but which proved unsuccessful.

"I am delighted to accept the opportunity to take this white-ball role with England," he said.

"Whilst I am Australian, I have deep connections, and several of my closest friends are in the UK, having spent considerable time in Scotland, Wales and England, both as a player and coach.

"When this role became available, I was attracted by the chance to work with such an established and successful team under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan and now Rob Key, whom I have always admired as an excellent cricket mind.

"I am fully aware that this team has been functioning well and part of my initial plan is to work with the playing group and support staff on how we can firstly maintain, then enhance, the success they have started to build over the past few years."