Fletcher ponders his future?

Duncan Fletcher: pondering his future © Getty Images

Reports in some newspapers this morning are suggesting that Duncan Fletcher is considering quitting his job as England coach and returning to work in South Africa, where he has a home.

Fletcher, who took charge of a struggling England side in 1999 and is widely credited with turning them into the second-best Test side in the world, is on a rolling contract and recently said he wanted to stay at the helm until the 2007 World Cup.

But the reports claim that while Test results have been impressive, some players and officials are unhappy with the performances of the one-day side. In 112 games since he took over, England have won only 53.

In the Guardian, Mike Selvey wrote that "among the areas of concern are the continued use of Geraint Jones as an opener despite his consistent failure, the relegation of the promising Ian Bell to a lower-order "finisher" and an unwillingness to experiment even when the series [in South Africa] had gone and some players were patently exhausted."

As a result of Fletcher's success, expectations have risen, and there is a feeling in the country that England could well give an aging Australian side a real run for their money this summer. If that turns out to be yet another false dawn, then whatever has happened since 1999 might be forgotten as thoughts turn to the World Cup and centre on the one-day side.

Selvey points out that Fletcher has an exit strategy. His book, co-written with former England and Glamorgan batsman Steve James, will be ready at the end of the summer and publishing in the immediate aftermath of an Ashes series would represent ideal timing. But Fletcher will be restricted in what he is able to say while still under contract to the ECB.

But If England perform decently against Australia in this summer's excess of one-day matches then, whatever the outcome of the Ashes series, that will buy Fletcher time. The book launch can always be delayed for another day.