Coach Drivers

GH on coaching's new hierarchy

Uneasy is the head that wears the crown. But what about the head next to it? It is easy to understand the pressures on Test captains; less easily understood, or appreciated, are those on their national coaches. Still, there’s evidence that the job is growing more precarious, less fulfilling

See you in December

Stephen Fleming last week became the fifth Test coach to succeed to his position this year. The process began when Richard Pybus replaced Jonathan Trott as coach of Afghanistan in February; Sarfaraz Ahmed, with Pakistan, and Gary Kirsten, with Sri Lanka, took their jobs in April; Ireland promoted Gary Wilson in June. Here’s how things look right now:

Afghanistan Richard Pybus

Australia Andrew McDonald (red ball, white ball)

Bangladesh Phil Simmons (red ball, white ball)

England Stephen Fleming (red ball), Brendon McCullum (white ball)

India Gautam Gambhir (red ball, white ball)

Ireland Gary Wilson (red ball, white ball)

New Zealand Rob Walter (red ball, white ball)

Pakistan Sarfaraz Ahmed (red ball), Mike Hesson (white ball)

South Africa Shukri Conrad (red ball, white ball)

Sri Lanka Gary Kirsten (red ball, white ball)

West Indies Daren Sammy (red ball, white ball)

Zimbabwe Justin Sammons (red ball, white ball)

With Phil Simmons in Bangladesh, Darren Sammy in West Indies, Mike Hesson in Pakistan and Rob Walter in New Zealand having succeeded to their roles last year, only India, Australia, and South Africa have not turned coaches over in the last eighteen months, and Gambhir begins a two-Test series against Sri Lanka next week under some pressure, having lost Test series against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Brendon McCullum’s commission, of course, has been cut in half: having been replaced by his old mucka Fleming, Baz continues in the white ball role he assumed in January last year.

Perhaps most remarkable is that this volatility is passing virtually unremarked. Were there this degree of attrition in the English Premier League, or the Australian Football League, we would be waist deep in opinion pieces. The killing season! The coaches of dismay! That we have not is a comment on two things.