Head coach defends selection in opening two Tests after heavy defeats at Brisbane, Adelaide
“There is always going to be divided opinion. You pick a team and not everybody’s going to agree with you… [but] I was happy with the skillset we had in the pink-ball Test, so I would pick the same team again.”
“I don’t [accept we got it wrong],” he added at a subsequent press conference ahead of England’s departure to Melbourne on Tuesday. “We picked the best attack for those conditions and you look at the attack we had out, there’s a lot of experience. I was happy with that attack this game and I was happy with that attack last game as well.”
Silverwood’s job is under pressure after a run of nine defeats and only one win in England’s last 11 Tests, but he maintained that he was the right man to help them recover from 2-0 down in the series.
“Am I the right man to help the players get better? Yes, I believe I am. We have had those honest chats and I believe I have the right coaching staff around me to make that happen as well.
“When you take a job like this you accept that [your job is on the line]. It is what it is. Do I believe I’m the right man? Yes I do, or I wouldn’t have taken the job in the first place. You’re under pressure constantly, aren’t you?
“We knew it was going to be difficult when we came out here. Obviously we wanted to win but that is always going to be difficult. We have to be realistic about what we have, but we have to learn.”
Silverwood, however, said that England could “potentially” have pitched the ball up more, and admitted that they “have to be better” across the board in order to compete in the final three Tests, starting at the MCG on Boxing Day.
“We had a really good talk in the dressing room which was needed. There were a few things thrown out there. Joe is right,” Silverwood. “We could have pitched it up further…potentially yes. But look at the lengths both teams bowled, they were very similar.
“We have to be better, it’s as simple as that. It is not just batting and bowling. Look at how many chances we have given up in the field: dropped catches, missed run-outs and everything else.
“Wickets off no-balls are unacceptable. I brought it up last night: this cannot happen. It is a basic error. The lads accepted that. We have had batting collapses. We have spoken about the two in these games. We have had collapses before and we can’t afford to do that.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98