UCB rejects SA skipper’s choice

Only the United Cricket Board have knocked back Smith’s suggestion, made to British media covering the England tour of South Africa. ’Smith’s opinions about a coach are his own and not the views or thoughts of the UCB,’ said media spokesman Gerald de Kock. ’Advertisement for a new coach is to be made next week and a decision will be made sometime after all candidates are interviewed.’

While the Safs incumbent Ray Jennings also laughed off the suggestion, sources in South Africa say that as Waugh has no proven coaching record, it would be hard for him to earn approval ’until such time he has the credentials’. Suggestions that Waugh could be snapped up by Australia as a replacement for John Buchanan have also been knocked back in Australia, but it is known that the England and Wales Cricket Board are looking for a replacement for Rod Marsh who is to step down as the ECB Academy coach in September.

This say sources in South Africa makes for an interesting line up as the popularity of Australian coaches is at an all-time high following the success of the Australian teams under the leadership of Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Waugh, and now Ricky Ponting. It has been pointed out that the Australian selectors as well as the team captains since the Border era have played a major role.

Also, Australian Government funding has helped develop an infrastructure in Australian sport that has made it the envy of other nations, including the United States and England. This was supported by the number of medals Australia won at the Athens Olympics last year; they even beat countries with much larger populations as India, France, England and South Africa among them. ’They don’t quibble about costs but ask how much is needed and go out and find it,’ said Shane Warne, Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker. ’We take a lot of pride in what we do and hate losing.’

At present Sri Lanka’s tie up with John Dyson has been partly settled, but whether he will stay on after the New Zealand tour is another matter. Dyson will prepare Sri Lanka for the two-Test tour. Nothing is being said beyond that.

Two other Australian names, Geoff Marsh (unemployed) and Tom Moody (currently with Worcestershire) and well as Peter Moores (Sussex) have been mentioned as possible replacements. They are said to be on a list of candidates narrowed last week after Sri Lanka Cricket officials met with Dyson and ’another possible coach’ last week while attending the International Cricket Council executive directors meeting in Melbourne.