Chris Silverwood leaves for England

[zimfan1]

Chris Silverwood leaves for England

By Edison Chikamhi

CHRIS Silverwood has ended his relationship with Mashonaland Eagles and has headed back to England to join Sussex as bowling coach.

Silverwood left the country yesterday after serving four months as player-coach with the Harare Metropolitan franchise team.

They won the domestic first class competition the Logan Cup and reached the finals of the inaugural Stanbic Bank Twenty20 series.

Eagles team manager Joseph Madyembwa confirmed Silverwood’s departure and said the former Yorkshire and Middlesex player would be replaced by assistant coach Douglas Hondo.

"We were supposed to have him with us until the end of the season, but he had to rush back to England since Sussex have a tour of the Caribbean, for which, they needed him urgently after losing their bowling coach.

"Silverwood wanted to be with us for longer because he had started a transformation phase with the club and did not want to leave a half-baked project. Nevertheless, he has promised to come back here in August," said Madyembwa.

The club last Friday hosted a farewell party for the former England player to recognise his contribution to the team during their short marriage.

Madyembwa said outgoing Zimbabwe national team coach Walter Chawaguta is expected to come into the Eagles technical set-up to fill the vacancy left by Silverwood’s departure.

He said Chawaguta would join the team for the rest of the season at the end of his term as the Zimbabwe national team coach after a tour of the West Indies.

Chawaguta has since been replaced by Englishman Ian Butcher who is scheduled to start work at the beginning of April.

"Chawaguta has been helping Eagles a lot recently. Since he is no longer the national team coach he will come and help with the coaching role while Hondo concentrates on his play. He has been doing that with Silverwood and the two had forged a good working relationship.

"But note that he will just be helping the team without a contract because we have received assurance from Silverwood that he would be coming back," said Madyembwa.

Essex First XI coach Paul Grayson confirmed on the club website that Silverwood was appointed to replace Graeme Welch and was expected to start work today.

"Chris will be joining us as bowling coach from the first of March when the players report back for full pre-season training.

"He will also travel with us to Barbados where he will be able to work really close with the bowlers as we prepare for the start of the season.

"We were obviously keen to replace Graeme (Welch) as quickly as possible. Chris is a highly respected person having played plenty of first-class cricket and of course he has represented England.

"He is desperately keen to make an impact and is the perfect bowling coach for the club as he ticks all of the boxes," said Grayson.

http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=16003&cat=5

[zimfan1]

Good to see he will be coming back as from the looks of things he has made a big impact with the Eagles

Appalling reporting though, he is going to Essex not Sussex and its Alan Butcher not Ian.

[sloandog]

Thankyou Chris Silverwood, and we'll be seeing you next Agust