Former all-rounder and captain Paul Collingwood has been appointed interim head coach of the England team for next month’s tour of the West Indies. The England Cricket Board gave this information on Monday. The team’s assistant coach Collingwood will replace Chris Silverwood. He was sacked last week after a humiliating 4-0 loss at the Ashes series in Australia.

Collingwood, 45, who took charge of England’s T20 squad during the West Indies tour last month, is currently on a break in Barbados. He will join the players when they arrive in Antigua on February 25. In a statement to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Collingwood said: “I am extremely excited to be guiding the Test team on their tour of the Caribbean. I can’t wait to start the tour.” Collingwood has played 68 Tests, 197 one-day internationals and 36 T20 internationals for England. The team will be announced this week. The first Test will start in Antigua from March 1.