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| Former England coach Duncan Fletcher was yesterday, appointed as India’s new cricket coach, board officials announced, three weeks after the country won the World Cup on home soil. (AFP |
Former England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher was appointed to the high-pressure post of India coach yesterday, less than one month after the country won the World Cup on home soil.
India had been on the look-out to replace South African Gary Kirsten who stepped down from the role following his success in guiding the cricket-crazy nation to victory in the showpiece event.
Fletcher, a former Zimbabwean all-rounder who came to prominence as a coach when reviving the England team over several years and helping them regain the Ashes in 2005, has been awarded a two-year contract.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N. Srinivasan made the announcement in Mumbai, naming Fletcher over other possible choices including New Zealander Stephen Fleming and Zimbabwean Andy Flower.
Fletcher, a taciturn 62-year-old, takes over one of the biggest jobs in cricket before India tour the West Indies in June followed by an important tour of England from July to September.
“The contract with Fletcher is for two years. He may not join the team in the West Indies as he has some prior commitments,” Srinivasan told reporters after a BCCI meeting.
India are currently ranked number one in Test cricket, and number two in one-day internationals.
Fletcher, who played six one-day internationals for his country, was credited with turning around England’s fortunes in Tests under captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan during his eight-year stint.
After taking the reins in 1999 as England’s first foreign coach, he oversaw Test series wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies.
With Vaughan, he helped England win their first Test series in South Africa in the post-apartheid era in 2005, before guiding them to the historic Ashes victory the same year, their first since 1986-87.
However he could not taste similar success in one-day internationals and resigned following England’s disappointing 2007 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean where his team failed to qualify for the semi-finals.
Vaughan said Fletcher would enjoy the challenge of working with Indian players but might struggle under the constant press attention.
“Duncan will work well with all the talent,” he wrote on Twitter. “His biggest challenge will come from the media. He has never really understood how it works.”
Fletcher has recently served as a consultant to South Africa and New Zealand. Meanwhile, former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan feels that newly appointed India coach Duncan Fletcher’s “biggest challenge” will be to handle the media in a cricket crazy nation.
Vaughan wrote on his Twitter account that Fletcher will make good use of the talent available in the Indian team but being in the limelight is something he has never “understood”.
“Duncan will work well with all the talent.. His biggest challenge will come from the media..he has never really understood how it works..!!” tweeted Vaughan, who captained the side that won the Ashes in 2005 after 18 years and under the supervision of Fletcher.
Former Australian coach John Buchanan, who was a long-time rival for Fletcher, said the 62-year old is a good replacement for Gary Kirsten.
“He’s obviously got a pretty good track record on the international and county circuits, and he’s got a pretty wide range of coaching experience,” Buchanan was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“He shares some similarities to Gary Kirsten and that obviously is something India would like to maintain, but he also has had greater experience, which should be useful for the phase the Indian team are about to enter into,” he added. Duncan Fletcher’s appointment as India’s coach is likely to create some unease among the Australians who are now anticipating a heated four Test series agaisnt the World champions later this year.
Fletcher, who was the former coach of England, and was instrumental in Australia’s 2005 Ashes demise. He famously winked at Ricky Ponting from the balcony at Trent Bridge after he was run out by a substitute fielder to rile the then Australian captain.
Former Australian coach John Buchanan expects Fletcher’s presence in the Indian dressing room to further spice up the India-Australia series.
“It may do,” Buchanan was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald. “There has been some change in personnel in the Australian ranks and certainly if Ricky Ponting is selected in the Australian team he won’t have to contend with Duncan from a position of captaincy, maybe as a player.”
“There may be some lingering memories but he will be in different clothes and have a different set of players with him and I think Australia will be more concerned about the talent India will bring as opposed to thinking too much about Duncan.”