The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Wanted coach with Test experience: Warne

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Wednesday, Aug 30, 2006

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Wanted coach with Test experience: Warne

The Buchanan impact on Australian cricket

COOLUM (Australia): Shane Warne wants Australia's next cricket coach to have international playing experience, saying the next generation needs a commonsense approach to the game.

John Buchanan has presided over the most successful era in Australian cricket, guiding the national line-up to world record winning streaks in Test and limited-overs.

The 53-year-old former schoolteacher, renowned for his boffin-like approach to the game, will retire after the World Cup in the Caribbean next April.

Warne, who will be 37 next year, says the next generation of players need an old-school approach.

Buchanan, who played seven first-class matches for Queensland in Australia's domestic competition, took over from former Test opener Geoff Marsh in 1999.

Marsh had succeeded Bob Simpson — Australia's first full-time coach.

Unlike his predecessors, Buchanan had not played Test cricket, but used some revolutionary methods to keep Australia atop the rankings. Warne, who has played under all three coaches, said with so many aging players, there needed to be a back-to-basics approach from the coaching staff to help mould a new team.

``We've gone through the experience of John Buchanan, who is very much a 'think outside the box' sort of coach,'' he said. ``One of the prerequisites should be part of the coach is to have that cricket common sense, that cricket background where he can actually help.'' — AP

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