Football
Reuters 17y

NEWSMAKER-Cricket-Fletcher quickly turns from hero to villain

By Mark Meadows

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 19 - Coach Duncan
Fletcher's taciturn manner masks a steely determination and a
fierce loyalty that have for eight years made him a firm
favourite with England's cricketers.

But his resignation on Thursday after England's second-round
World Cup exit suggested that like so many sports figures before
him he lost his sense of timing.

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.

The all-rounder then turned his attention to jobs which
perfectly suited his precise, dedicated and under-stated nature.

He devised Zimbabwe's car registration system and also spent
time working in systems management.

NERVOUS DEMEANOUR

His love of cricket tempted him back and he began a
successful career as a coach, leading English county side
Glamorgan to glory before England came calling in 1999.

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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