Veletta fired after losing confidence of players

PERTH, March 21 AAP - West Australian cricket coach Mike Veletta has been axed following his team's disappointing finish to the summer.

The former Test batsman is understood to have lost the confidence of his players.

WA's results reflected the camp's discontent with a second-last placing in the Pura Cup this season, and a humiliating home loss in the ING Cup final to NSW.

Veletta had two seasons in charge of the Warriors and will be paid out for the third and final year of his contract.

Senior players Michael Hussey, Ryan Campbell and Matthew Nicholson are all considering moving interstate for next season.

The decision to fire Veletta was taken following a recommendation from the WACA's international and interstate committee.

"The I&I committee has made an extremely tough decision not to continue with Michael Veletta as our state coach," WACA chief executive Kath White said in a statement.

"This decision was not taken lightly. But it has been made in the best interests of Western Australian cricket."

White said the WACA will immediately start looking for a new coach.

There was no obvious successor to Veletta although speculation has surrounded former Tasmanian coach Greg Shipperd and former WA coach Wayne Clark.

However Clark, whose son Michael plays for WA, is understood to be eyeing off a more lucrative offer in England after being sacked from Yorkshire last year.

Current Zimbabwean and former Australian coach Geoff Marsh is also a name being thrown up and his son Shaun also plays for the Warriors.