KEY POINTS:
England coach Duncan Fletcher has resigned in the wake of his side's pathetic second-round World Cup exit.
Hindsight is a fine thing in any walk of life but how the quiet Zimbabwean must rue not quitting when he and England were so close to the top of the
world.
As he was cheered through the streets of London on an open-top bus after England's 2-1 Ashes series triumph in 2005 over Australia, it must have crossed Fletcher's mind to step down after six years of hard work had borne fruit.
Instead, he decided to stay on and his team have been in steady decline ever since, with the World Cup debacle following a 5-0 mauling by Australia in the return Ashes series.
His reasons for continuing in the role could only be guessed at. Perhaps it was a yearning for more international cricket after he was deprived of so many appearances as a player.
He captained his native Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, including their opening shock win against Australia. However, the six matches in the tournament constituted his only international caps as Zimbabwe were not yet a test nation.
Despite his achievements he was little known when his appointment was announced, his quiet, modest demeanour leading many pundits to wonder how he could motivate a bunch of underachieving cricketers.
But his close bond with the players, especially captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, and his methodical approach brought results.
England rose to second in the test rankings and although the one-day side struggled they offered promise.
England went into the 2005 Ashes believing they could beat their old Australian enemy for the first time in 18 years.
Fletcher's men triumphed 2-1 in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest test series in history.
Fletcher looked slightly uncomfortable with the praise which came his way but his pride was also clearly evident.
In recent months, though, his emotionless exterior has become grumpier as everything crumbled around him. He became snappy with the media and looked aloof in World Cup training sessions, standing on the boundary well away from the nets.
A drinking scandal which led to Andrew Flintoff being stripped of the vice captaincy also suggested Fletcher was losing his disciplinary grip on his charges.
"You have got to be very careful you don't add a lot more pressure by over-emphasising, because it is just another pressure you are building on the players that they don't really need," Fletcher said earlier in the tournament.
In the end, though, a real motivator was needed to revive a flagging, directionless England and his quiet, trusting approach was found wanting.
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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.
The PCB on Thursday named all-rounder Shoaib Malik as captain until the end of the year and former test player, Talat Ali, as manager for two years but did not announce a replacement for Woolmer.
Woolmer, the former England player, was coach from 2004 until March 18 this year when he was pronounced dead in hospital in Jamaica a day after Pakistan lost to debutants Ireland and were eliminated from the World Cup in the first round.
His death is being treated by Jamaican police as murder.
Pakistan also had a foreign coach, Briton Richard Pybus, in the 2003 World Cup when they did not progress beyond the first round.
"The reason the board has delayed naming a new coach is because it is still looking at several candidates some of them foreigners," the source said.
He said Wright, who was coach of the Indian team from 2000 to 2005, was a strong candidate followed by Boon who was video analyst with the England team during their 2005 Ashes win over Australia.
Boon has also been England's under-19 coach and of South African provincial side, Natal.
"The name of Boon has been recommended by someone in the England and Wales Cricket Board," the source said.
Former Pakistan test pacer, Aaqib Javed, is the strongest local candidate for the post although the source said there was resistance to his appointment.
- REUTERS
