Duncan Fletcher's appointment is BCCI's attempt to plan for future

MUMBAI: Sixty two-year-old, Zimbabwe born, former England coach Duncan Fletcher has been named the coach of the Indian cricket team.
Fletcher, who will replace South African Gary Kirsten, has been handed a two-year contract by the BCCI. In fact it was Kirsten -- who guided India to the World Cup title -- who recommended Fletcher to the BCCI.
Also read:Players, board not worried about Fletcher's age
As a cricketer, Fletcher never played Tests but represented Zimbabwe in six one-day internationals and is a veteran of 111 first class matches, turning out for Rhodesia and the Western Province between 1969 and 85.
However, the man who now holds the reigns of Team India's coaching department is best known for his eight-year stint as chief coach of the England national team helping them win a Test series in the West Indies and Pakistan after 36 years, whitewashing New Zealand home and away, winning 2-1 in South Africa and more famously helping the Poms claim the historic 2005 Ashes after a painful gap of 18 years.
As recently as 2010, Fletcher was also involved in a brief stint with the South African cricket board when he was invited as a batting consultant for the senior national team.
In 1994, he did apply for the job of South Africa's national coach, when Kirsten was very much part of the team, but lost the opportunity to the late Bob Woolmer.
Fletcher's known to be a player's coach and is famously recalled often by senior cricketers who talk about his ability to deal with players at a very individual level. His interactions with former England captains Nasser Hussain and Vaughan are legendary in the way that he forged successful partnerships with them to build a very good England team that was once in hot race for the Number One spot in ICC rankings between 2003 and 2006.
The new coach was in India to speak with top BCCI officials and it is learnt that he will formally take over beginning with India's Test series in the West Indies.
BCCI is keen on sending a full-fledged squad for the West Indies tour and therefore, Fletcher's formal appointment comes so immediately.
Other than Fletcher, former New Zealand captain and Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming was also learnt to be in race for the India job. Fleming, however, had recently admitted that he was enjoying his current stint with the Super Kings and still learning the nuances of the job to take responsibility at the highest level.
Fletcher, meanwhile, is a veteran at that and known to be a taskmaster. "In the stage that Indian cricket currently is, the time is just round the corner for a new set up to emerge where cricketers are involved. From here on, it will be about grooming the youngsters. Our domestic circuit has been throwing up so many naturally talented cricketers. We needed a man who will not just help mould these talents but instill the right kind of beliefs in them. For such reasons, Fletcher is the right man for the job," says an official who played his part in supporting Fletcher's appointment.
Unlike the last time, when India sought advice from former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar before settling for Kirsten, this time around, it was Kirsten's own advice that made the decision easier for BCCI. Of course, it didn't happen without senior Indian cricketers having their say in the matter.
"It is a collective decision and we hope a good one in the best interests of Indian cricket. A lot of thought was given before making the decision," BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla said after BCCI's Wednesday working committee meeting.
Fletcher: Ups And Downs
Duncan Fletcher’s coaching credentials were enhanced following a stint with the England team from 1999 to 2007. Here are the highs and lows...
HIGHS:
Sept 2000: England beat West Indies to reclaim the Wisden Trophy after 31 years.
Dec 2000: England win a Test match in Pakistan after 39 years.
May-Sept 2004: England win 7 consecutive Tests: 4 against NZ, 3 against WI. Beat West Indies in the Caribbean for the first time since 1967-68 . Enjoy an unbeaten streak of 13 Tests.
Sept 2005: England regain the Ashes
Dec 2005: Fletcher wins OBE following Ashes win
LOWS:
October 1999: England’s only win in SA comes in a Test match later presumed to have been fixed by Hansie Cronje
Aug 2001: England lose Ashes in abject fashion
March 2003: England’s World Cup campaign suffers as they refuse to play Zimbabwe
Jan 2007: Australia complete Ashes whitewash
Apr 2007: Fletcher asked to leave England camp following poor World Cup campaign