It takes a great deal of security for one coach to recommend another, while the former is still in charge at the office. But South Africa may just reap the rewards, at least that is the gamble, in having both, Duncan Fletcher and Mickey Arthur, in the same dressing room.
Duncan Fletcher will be better remembered as coach of the England team when England won the Ashes in 2005. However, England have since sunk below as has Fletcher’s profile. So, while coaching remains his favourite passion, he has not really committed to any international team, until now.
Mickey Arthur, coach of the South African team, decided to have a consultant coach on hand and narrowed in on Fletcher who has himself been itching to associate himself with a team. But Arthur, who has now received an extension from the Cricket Board of South Africa, is not insecure enough not to rope in the resources of a coach who knows how to take a team to winning a series that did not know how for almost two years. Arthur is hoping Fletcher is the catalyst to rebuild South Africa after losing key personnel to the ICL amongst other issues.
In his consultant role, Fletcher will only be joining preparation camps, including during the home series against Bangladesh and later, more importantly against Australia on their own turf, which is expected to be the true indicator of how South Africa have shaped up. Fletcher was also reportedly approached by Jacques Kallis as the latter has tried to battle a slump that has marked 2007. Fletcher has of course watched Kallis closely as coach of the Western Province team a decade ago. He will now divide his time being consultancy stints with South Africa and English county team Hampshire.
South Africa are also counting on Fletcher’s experience in helping England overcome the Australians will come in handy as they embark on back-to-back series away and at home hosting the Australia in a six Test series. It will be interesting to watch two international coaches in action build a strategy to topple Australia off their perch. Australia are only grappling to get back to winning ways against a hopeful New Zealand team after the shock treatment delivered by India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. South Africa will be hoping to capture some of those winning moments and certainly Arthur is leaving no stone unturned in the attempt.
