Gary Kirsten is in line to be appointed England head coach this week in a major coup for Ashley Giles.

Giles will hold face-to-face talks with Kirsten at Lord’s on Wednesday to finalise a deal to replace Trevor Bayliss who left the England job at the end of the Ashes series and an appointment is expected by the end of the week barring any last minute hitches.

Telegraph Sport revealed last week that Kirsten was England’s No1 choice for the job and they were hopeful of persuading him to take over from Bayliss.

The stumbling block was that Kirsten had turned his back on international cricket in 2013 in order to spend more time with his young family.

But Giles, the England team director, and the corporate head hunting company used by the England and Wales Cricket Board, have managed to assure Kirsten he will be given time off in an arrangement that suits both sides.

Giles will appoint two English assistant coaches to back up Kirsten and take over series to give them experience of running the England side with a view to appointing an Englishman when Kirsten eventually steps down. Giles wants to improve England’s succession planning and ensure there is an English coach with enough experience to take the top job in the future after appointments of an Australian in Bayliss and South African Kirsten.