Duncan Fletcher has resigned as England’s coach and will leave his post after their World Cup campaign is completed on Saturday.
David Morgan confirmed the news at a press conference at the team hotel in Barbados and added that the ECB hoped to be in a position to name Fletcher’s temporary replacement, or possible long-term successor, within 48 hours. “We are well done the track of identifying someone who will come in as a successor, in Duncan’s place, quite quickly,” said Morgan.
Fletcher informed the ECB on April 10, the day before England’s match against Bangladesh, that he would be handing in his notice at the end of the World Cup. John Carr, ECB director of cricket operations, said they met at Fletcher’s request, but explained it was important to keep the news confidential while England were still trying to qualify for the semi-finals.
The ECB board had a telephone conference yesterday where the board were in formed that Fletcher intended to resign. Morgan was quick to pay tribute to what he has achieved over the past eight years. “I think he’s achieved a great deal. Our performances in the Test match arena have been transformed in the eight years he’s been with us,” he said. “I do believe that Duncan Fletcher has done a tremendous job for us. The last winter has been a difficult one and a very disappointing one.”
Fletcher himself said in a statement: “I always said I would review my position of head coach this winter. I feel it’s in the team’s best interests over the long term that I should move on and seek a different challenge elsewhere. My record as coach is one in which I can take great pride.” He revealed he’d spoken to the ECB about his position before the match against Bangladesh.
When you undertake a decision to jump at your own free will, you have the option to land wherever you want to, at your desired spot via a parachute. Not true, when you are pushed into an unknown. :-)
But yes, bye bye indeed. Fletcher's head was called for more times than Vaughan's place in the team was questioned, but as long as he was known as 'the' captain of England, things were admissible. There was a time when a headline in Cricinfo read, "Stand-in captain for a stand-in captain"; Andrew Strauss had earlier been named as one replacing Flintoff, who, in turn, took reigns the great Michael Vaughan.
He jumped JUST before he was pushed. In my view he stayed on a year too long. It was pretty evident that his methods weren't working, he seemed too set in his ways and too stubborn about his favorite players (sticking with G Jones over Chris Read for a long long time is one example)...
Good for England cricket...they should try to find a more aggressive coach now..... speaking of which.. when is Nasser Hussain going to recognize his real talents and jump into coaching arena..
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s cricket authorities have turned to New Zealander John Wright as a possible replacement for coach Bob Woolmer, who died during the World Cup.
Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told Reuters that some discussions had been held with Wright, 52, to find out if he would be interested in coaching the national side.
“Wright’s response was good. The board is also looking at another foreigner, Tim Boon, coach of Leicestershire, as a possible candidate,” one source said on Thursday.
at Just.