Chris Silverwood

After spending several seasons as Essex's bowling coach, Chris Silverwood wrought an immediate - and almost staggering - change in fortunes at Chelmsford on taking charge for the 2016 season. Following Paul Grayson's departure, Silverwood led Essex straight up as Division Two champions; but that achievement was topped 12 months later when the club claimed their first Championship title in 25 years. It was enough to tempt England, who appointed him as their new bowling coach in late 2017.

In just two years, Silverwood had won more silverware than Essex had managed in most of the preceding decade. He dared his charges to "dream big" and formed a strong partnership with the captain, Ryan ten Doeschate, as Essex won a hard-fought promotion race (with only one team going up due to a change in the Championship structure) to secure Division One cricket for the first time since 2010. Things only got better the following summer, as a team full of largely homegrown players went unbeaten through the season, the pennant secured with two games to spare amid joyous scenes - Essex's first title since the days of Gooch and Fletcher in 1992.

As a player, Silverwood was an excellent county seamer who fell just short of Test class. Wholehearted, zippy and with an unnerving bouncer that zeroed in on the batsman's head, his whirling action generated real pace - England bowling coach Bob Cottam once said he was faster than Allan Donald - but he lacked the consistency to trouble the best. As a Yorkshireman, Silverwood thrived on the helpful Headingley greentops, where his natural movement away from the right-hander was exaggerated.

He impressed on Test debut in Bulawayo in 1996-97, but then had to wait three years until his next chance, on England's tour of South Africa. Silverwood struggled there when the ball didn't swing, and despite plugging away for five wickets at Durban, dropped down the pecking order.

At the end of 2005 he left Yorkshire and moved to Middlesex. The move appeared to be justified when he took 63 wickets at 25.25 in 2006, but he struggled for form and also was sidelined by injuries, leading to him being released at the end of the 2009 season. Thereafter, he spent some time playing and coaching in Zimbabwe, with Mashonaland Eagles, before joining Essex.
ESPNcricinfo staff