Fletcher remains favourite for England coaching job

While Woolmer, who was lecturing at Lilleshall yesterday, prepares South Africa for the challenge of avenging the momentous defeat on Sunday by Australia - the two teams meet again in the second semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday - the England captain has a final chance to influence his own destiny. Alec Stewart is playing for Surrey today at the same Oval ground on which his dreams of winning the World Cup were shown to be unrealistic during England's humiliating defeat at the hands of South Africa three weeks ago.

One of the first questions that should be asked of the candidates by the interviewing panel today is which man each of them believes should captain England. The answer would reveal something about the priorities and approach of the would-be coach. More-over, if the new order that is about to be introduced is to get the best out of the talent available, it is essential that coach and captain are men who can work effectively and harmoniously. No less important will be the views of the three men on the proposed full-time manager whose task it will be, if the present plans come to fruition, to administer the lives of the 15 or 16 players who are due to be given England contracts from next year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), whose financial director, Cliff Barker, is resigning his job to go into teaching, may have to revise this plan. The concept of a full-time manager was understandable given a full England squad and the argument for both manager and squad was accepted by the counties, at considerable cost to themselves, when the First Class Forum ratified the carefully researched report of the Trangmar Committee. If only a smaller number of England players were to be centrally contracted, however, not only would the expense of employing twice the number be reduced, but also the cost of compensating the counties and probably the need for a well-paid manager as well.

The interviewing panel - Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth, the ECB chairman, Simon Pack, the international teams director, Brian Bolus, chairman of the England Management Advisory Committee (EMAC), and Dennis Amiss and David Acfield, the two members of EMAC specially co-opted to help in choosing the coach - need to have a clear idea of whether a separate manager will be required or whether the man they select today is to be both the director of coaching and, literally, a man-manager.

Fletcher remains the clear favourite, not least because of his high reputation as a firm leader and shrewd tactician, both as captain of Zimbabwe and as a coach in South Africa and with Glamorgan. Among several who have said that he is the man for the job, the endorsements of David Houghton, Ian Botham and Desmond Haynes will have done him no harm.

A decision on the captaincy will be made by the selectors, David Graveney, Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, although they will seek the approval of the top brass at the ECB. A century by Stewart this week would strengthen the case of those who say that having a new coach is likely to be destabilising enough for an England team that badly needs to win the series against New Zealand to restore some of the optimism that attended the spirited recovery against South Africa last year.

Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash and, from outside the recent team, Robin Smith, Chris Adams and David Byas have also been discussed. The best candidate, however, is Nasser Hussain and it will surely be his name that is announced early next week, perhaps at the same time as the new coach.

June 15, 1999

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