England head coach Chris Silverwood to skip Sri Lanka and Pakistan ODIs as rotation continues

Paul Collingwood and Graham Thorpe will take charge of a series each while Silverwood to given time away from the job, one which he admits he struggles to switch off from

Chris Silverwood must prepare for extra scrutiny as England streamline selection

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Chris Silverwood will hand over the reins of the England men's team during the Sri Lanka and Pakistan one-day international series this summer.

Paul Collingwood and Graham Thorpe will lead the 50-over team for a series each to give the head coach time off amid a relentless year.

Since the introduction of bio-secure bubbles, England have consistently given players and staff the opportunity to recuperate and be with family away from the pressure cooker of competition.

Silverwood skipped last summer's T20s against Pakistan and has been permitted another period away from the demands of the role, which now includes selection following Ed Smith's departure and a restructure behind the scenes.

He will miss the back-to-back ODI series against Sri Lanka (June 26, 29 and July 1) and Pakistan (July 8, 10, 13) but will lead during the New Zealand and India Tests as well as all T20 internationals.

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"If I am not operating at 100 per cent and not giving back what I need to give back to the team, I won't be providing the service of a level, of a quality that I need to do," Silverwood said while speaking to the media upon confirming the decision, which will see him away from his post for over two weeks.

"It’s not fair on the players if I am operating at less than 100 per cent and it is not fair on myself either. It’s not where I want to be. I think it is just important that we keep our personnel as fresh as possible.  

"You saw that during the winter that we tried to do that with our players to the best of our ability. It’s equally as important we do that with the staff so they can make sure that they can prep the players to make sure they are successful when they are out on the park. It’s important we look after each other.

Silverwood will spend at least one of those weeks in Norfolk with his wife Victoria and though contactable he will give Collingwood and Thorpe, the latter of whom took charge of the Pakistan T20s, full authority regarding selection and preparation.

He added: "I said right from the start I was going to step back at times and promote them forward to give them leadership opportunities. This is a great opportunity for us to do that, for them to step up and show us what they can do in that position. 

^{Paul Collingwood and Graham Thorpe will step up to the plate}

"Equally, give them the responsibility of making decisions, working alongside the captain. I think it will be a great experience for them. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t trust them 100 per cent which I do. 

"If you look at the wealth of experience that the two of them have got, it’s a massive bonus for me to have them next to me wherever we go. They have had success all around the world. 

"As players, they played a lot more international cricket than me so you surround yourself with the things that maybe you don’t have and build a team that way. They’re a huge asset to us."

Following a busy summer, the winter months are also relentless with England playing the T20 World Cup, facing Australia in the Ashes and then travelling to the West Indies.

Preparation for the World Cup will see Eoin Morgan's side face Pakistan in two T20s while a series against Bangladesh is also in the offing. Silverwood will take a decision over his future workload at a later date but has not ruled out another break.

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