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England cricket coach Fletcher quits after eight years

England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher has quit and a temporary replacement will probably be named within the next two days, English cricket chiefs said on Thursday.

Fletcher and his employers finally agreed to end his eight-year tenure with pressure building on the coach amid dismal World Cup results and performances.

The 58-year-old coach had revealed his intention to step down after the World Cup 10 days ago on the eve of England's Super 8 match with Bangladesh.

"I feel it is in the team's best interests over the long term that I should move on and seek a new challenge elsewhere," Fletcher said in a statement released on Thursday by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

There were emotional scenes at the Police Ground in Barbados, where England trained on Thursday morning. After putting the team through its paces for two hours, a visibly touched Fletcher stopped the practice and told the players today's Super 8 game against West Indies would be his last in charge.

He then shook hands with all players and support staff before resuming training.

ECB Chairman David Morgan then broke the news to the media at the team's Bridgetown hotel.

"I would hope that within a very short time, to be specific in the next 48 hours, that we would have appointed someone as a caretaker-coach," Morgan said. "And there is a possibility that we may appoint quite quickly Duncan Fletcher's permanent successor. We're well down the track of identifying certainly someone who will come in and be a selector in Duncan's place and come into position quite quickly."

That person is most likely to be England cricket academy director Peter Moores, who only took over from former Australia test star Rod Marsh 18 months ago but who is highly regarded. He coached Sussex to its first English county championship triumph in 2003.

Morgan denied there were any plans to fire Fletcher. But his days appeared numbered after a disastrous six months which culminated in England tumbling out of the World Cup with a humiliating nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of South Africa.

The World Cup followed a 5-0 humbling from Australia to lose the Ashes England regained in 2005 and a poor performance at the ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

England is under pressure to recruit a new coach quickly. The West Indies begins a tour of England on May 17.

"The important thing is to have a competent person in charge as England head coach either on a temporary or permanent basis as quickly as possible," Morgan said. "We're confident in our ability to achieve that."

While the 43-year-old Moores is seen as the favorite, Sri Lanka's Australian coach Tom Moody's name has also been mentioned.
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