Bayliss appointment a conservative move by England Cricket Board

What is all the more surprising, though, is that talks with Yorkshire boss Gillespie, who was the previous standout favourite for the role, failed.

Perhaps Strauss and co wouldn’t allow the former Australia bowler to give a recall to Pietersen and pick a man who they can control. However, it remains to be seen the reasoning behind the decision.

“Trevor has an outstanding record as coach, has global experience and is very highly regarded in the game,” former England captain Strauss said.

“He has proved himself in both domestic and international cricket, has a strong reputation for man-management, and has shown how to build winning teams in all three formats.

“His expertise in the shorter forms of the game will be vital as we build towards three major ICC events over the next four years; the ICC World T20 tournament in India in 2016 and the ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be staged in England and Wales in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

“Trevor will also work well with Paul Farbrace, an exceptional coach who will continue as assistant coach after helping us to an outstanding victory over New Zealand in the first Investec Test of the summer.

“This has been a very competitive recruitment process and we’re grateful to all of the candidates who showed their interest in this role. I’m excited to have him on board.”

One plus to the appointment is that Bayliss’ previous working relationship with Paul Farbrace, who will continue to be assistant coach after his spell as interim boss for the New Zealand two-Test series, could be crucial.

The duo spent two years in charge of Sri Lanka together, and led them to the 2011 World Cup final, although it was Englishman Farbrace that gained success with the Asian nation in 2014 by claiming the 2014 T20 World Cup.

Farbrace gave us some insight on Bayliss, by saying: “He’s an old-fashioned cricket coach. He likes working in the nets and getting stuck in. He’s very popular with the lads. He’s a quiet guy. He doesn’t say a lot but when he does, it counts.”

While Bayliss has never won anything at international level, he has been successful with clubs. He led Sydney Sixers to the Big Bash and Champions League titles in 2012, before triumphing with IPL outfit Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014.