Can a new coach transform the England Cricket Team?

The England cricket team has faced one of the most traumatic periods in its recent history after last summers humiliation at the hands of Australia over all forms of the game. The new prospective coach will have a huge job on his hands and will have to transform and rebuild the side.

The rebuilding job will start with tests against Sri Lanka this summer, building towards next year's World Cup and home Ashes series. The prospective coach needs to not only pick out potential match-winners and improve tactics, but also to bring about a cultural shift in the team.

The team that collapsed in Australia last year appeared over-confident, complacent and arrogant. There was a feeling they only had to turn up to win. Under real pressure and competition they collapsed and their arrogance was massively misplaced.

The new coach needs to create a culture of reverence around playing for England, the same reverence you can see the Australian players have for their team.

The Ashes should act as a wake-up call for the players, coaching staff and selectors. The new coach should attempt to transform the team into a great, hard-working, dedicated and skilful set of players who want to play hard and in the right way.

This suggests that the England Cricket Board may appoint an Englishman as Andy Flower replacement. The Australian Trevor Bayliss is among the candidates, but he is not Gary Kirsten - a top of the range foreign coach - so it may be a mistake to go for him on this occasion.

This is likely to leave Ashley Giles and Peter Moores as the realistic candidates. Mick Newell, the other Englishman in the running, has a great county pedigree and is well respected, but has little experience of international cricket.

Moores first reign as England coach was marred by his inability to work with Kevin Pietersen and his 'unique' personality. With Pietersen now out of the equation, he could have a clear run at moulding the team anew. Moores is a very technical coach and although he wouldn't be a sea change after Flower, the elite players respect him a lot.

Giles has the huge embarrassment of the loss to Netherlands in the World Twenty20 hanging over him, however, England have suffered and bounced back from such defeats before.

The word from the journalists and players during the World Cup Twenty20 in Bangladesh was that the players wants Giles to get the job. Suggesting he has the support and respect of the players. His results have not been great, but he didn't have the strongest team to chose from and the tournament came after an exhausting Test series.

Whoever is appointed has a massive task on their hands, requiring changes to the teams culture and attitude. If the new coach doesn't manage to change the team for the better, England could be heading for embarrassment next summer.