Chris Silverwood won the race to become England’s new head coach after leading from the outset, forging strong bonds with the core of senior players and through a record of success in domestic first-class cricket.

In February Ashley Giles, newly installed as director of cricket, stated his preference for an English coach to replace Trevor Bayliss at the end of the 2019 season. During this press conference in Barbados came an ear-pricking endorsement for Silverwood despite his being just a year into his role as the team’s bowling coach.

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The former Yorkshire and England quick was praised for “excellent communication skills” and his two years as the head coach at Essex where, in the words of Giles, they were transformed from a “bit of a shambles” into unbeaten title winners in 2017. Thereafter, Silverwood always appeared the man to beat.

So while Giles cast the net wider, even securing an interview with Gary Kirsten despite the much-decorated South African’s past reluctance to return to the treadmill of international cricket, confirmation of Silverwood’s appointment on Monday was not, in the end, the greatest of shocks.

“Chris was the standout candidate,” said Giles. “He is somebody we know well. But it is his intimate understanding of our structures and systems and his close relationships with Test captain Joe Root and white-ball captain Eoin Morgan that will help us develop our plans for the next few years.

“He has performed exceptionally well during his role as an assistant coach and has the ultimate respect of the players that have worked with him.”

Giles went on to praise Silverwood’s work in helping to establish the culture of the current England dressing room, as well as excellent working relationships with the county directors of cricket that are becoming ever-more important. “Ultimately, his highest quality is that he is a winner,” he added.

Silverwood, 44, described himself as “thrilled and honoured” to get the job and stated that England, world champions in the 50-over format but ranked fourth in Test cricket after the drawn Ashes series, have “enormous potential for growth”.

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Having given a panel of Giles, Tom Harrison – the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive – and John Neal, the head of coach development, his “detailed thoughts” on how to create a team to win in Australia in 2021-22 and deliver sustained white-ball success, he will address the media at Lord’s on Thursday to further outline this vision.

The role means Silverwood becomes a selector – he had a strong input into the refreshed squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour – and, unlike his predecessor, Bayliss, will be employed full time rather than on a fixed-term contract. His promotion means a vacancy in the coaching setup remains.

Graham Thorpe will continue as batting coach, and Paul Collingwood, previously on a short-term deal, is due to re-sign as an assistant permanently. But a new bowling mentor will need to be identified, with an interim appointment being considered.

Morgan’s continuation as limited-overs captain makes England a solid bet to challenge for next October’s T20 World Cup in Australia, as well as the following edition a year later. Therefore it will be Silverwood’s work with Root, a Test captain still striving to impose himself in the role, that likely defines his tenure.

During his two years as Essex head coach, having spent the previous six in charge of the bowlers, the team won 20 championship matches and lost just three (the latter during 2016’s promotion charge). Giles pointed to the county’s further silverware this season as evidence of a legacy – something Ravi Bopara, agrees with.

Bopara, the former England all-rounder, told the Guardian: “One thing I like about ‘Spoons’ is that he does not leave a stone unturned. He’s very focused. People at Essex were very sad to him go and still talk about him a lot. When we won the double, he was straight on the phone to the boys to say ’well done’.

“He’s very disciplined in how he wants his cricket to be played. One thing we always said at Essex under him was that if we could control the run rate, that will bring rewards. It’s simple but effective. He’s a coach who gets the best out of players.

“He’s not the sort of bloke who gets angry or upset either; he’s very chilled out and the boys respect him for that. I don’t think the double teapot works in today’s game anyway. It’s about dangling the carrot these days.”

In this regard Silverwood will continue the Bayliss ethos. But where the pair differ greatly – and where Kirsten fell short, beyond simply a disappointing interview – is the knowledge of the English game that Giles was so keen to restore to the role.