Paul Collingwood named interim England cricket coach

Paul Collingwood will take charge of England's Test tour of the West Indies in March after being installed as interim head coach.

The removal of Chris Silverwood after the 4-0 Ashes thrashing, followed by that of assistant coach Graham Thorpe, left Collingwood as the highest-ranked member of the backroom team still standing.

Having led the recent Twenty20 series in the Caribbean, which England lost 3-2, the 45-year-old has been chosen by acting director of cricket Andrew Strauss for the Tests in Antigua, Barbados and Grenada instead of bringing an outsider into the set-up.

Surrey's vastly experienced team director Alec Stewart had been heavily touted as a short-term option but the temporary appointment has been kept in-house for now.

Whether Collingwood is seen as a viable permanent successor to Silverwood remains to be seen, but as a former England captain in white-ball cricket and a highly-rated coach in his own right, the next few weeks could present an opportunity for him to make his case as the leading homegrown candidate.

The last time an interim coach took the reins for a series in the West Indies, Andy Flower in 2009 following the sacking of Peter Moores, he went on to land the job permanently and enjoyed huge success in taking the Test side to number one in the world. Strauss was captain of Flower's side and counted Collingwood as a trusted team-mate.

The former Durham player is already in the West Indies, having stayed on for a break, and will join the team in Antigua when they arrive on February 25.

The squad, which is likely to contain a couple of new faces alongside the majority of the side that nosedived in Australia, is set to be named on Tuesday.

Collingwood said: "I am genuinely excited to be leading the Test team for the tour of the Caribbean. I can't wait to get started.

"Having a challenging Test series against the West Indies straight off the back of the Ashes disappointment gives us a chance from now to reset and rebuild.

"Playing Test matches for England is the highest accolade in the game. My objective is to give players clarity, direction and encouragement for them to start building something special."

England's red-ball side has been on the slide for the past 12 months and with one win in the last 14 Tests, they are in the midst of a dire slump in results.

Collingwood must now begin the job of halting that sequence.

"I have spoken to Joe Root and Ben Stokes (captain and vice-captain), and both are excited and passionate to take the team forward in this new cycle," he said.

"Although they know it won't be easy, they have the desire and bravery to do things differently to ensure the team can prosper. We have an opportunity to get back on track."

Collingwood will need a new support team in place, with Richard Dawson a possible asset following his work with the England Under-19s and Lions.

Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.

- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law

Results

5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri

Rating: 1/5

Transgender report

'I pretend I'm dumb so they can't hear my voice': Transgender Emirati on posing as a woman for work

'The person in the mirror was not me': Emirati tells of gender struggle from childhood to adulthood

MATCH INFO

Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE

Match is on BeIN Sports

THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD

Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder

Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm

Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds

Top speed: 202kmh

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

Price: From Dh122,900

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5