Detached coaches look for right engines

Spate of resignations and non-renewal of contracts after the World Cup by coaches has left the door ajar in world cricket

West Indies’ Bennett King became the latest international coach to quit on Monday as the revolving doors of cricket management gathered speed. King quit after the West Indies, who won the first two World Cups and reached the final in 1983, won just one Super 8s match and failed to qualify for the last four of the 2007 tournament.

The West Indies Cricket Board announced King’s resignation Monday. “The West Indies Cricket Board has accepted with regret the resignation of coach King,” a board statement said.

The statement said King would continue his contract with the West Indies board until the end of May, but he would not tour England with the West Indies.

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“King will not accompany the team on the England tour. The board will announce the new management team, including the coach,” the statement said.

King’s presence in the West Indies during May is to facilitate setting up of a regional cricket academy, the board said. He was responsible for establishing and managing the Australian academy and was now involved in drawing up the plan for something similar in the Caribbean. King joins Bangladesh’s Dav Whatmore, England’s Duncan Fletcher and India’s Greg Chappell in walking away from their jobs. Whatmore decided not to stay on while the other two walked amid speculation they would be fired.

Of the four coaches still with teams in the tournament, Australia’s John Buchanan has already announced he is leaving and his replacement is in place. Sri Lanka’s Tom Moody’s contract ends after the tournament and he may be be looking for another job, although Sri Lanka would love to retain the popular Australian.

Micky Arthur of South Africa and New Zealand’s John Bracewell appear safe in their positions— for now. Being knocked out of the World Cup at the semi-final stage for the third time might not please folks back in South Africa, however.

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Eight of the world’s 10 Test playing nations are changing coaches and some will inevitably sign up with other teams, changing the balance of international cricket.

The most dramatic of changes was the sudden death of Pakistan’s English coach Bob Woolmer, found dead in his Kingston hotel room the morning after his team’s upset defeat to lowly Ireland, a loss that sent Pakistan out of the tournament in the early stages.

Whatmore, a former Australian Test player who has rapidly advanced Bangladesh, has already coached Sri Lanka successfully. He has been named as a possible successor to Chappell, who quit amid Indian fury over also being knocked out of the tournament in the early stages.

India installed former player Ravi Shastri as cricket manager and separate batting and bowling coaches for the Bangladesh series next month but only on short-term deals.

–SIMON HAYDON