ALLAN DONALD, South Africa’s greatest fast bowler, has emerged as favourite to succeed Troy Cooley as England’s fast bowling coach. Cooley, undoubtedly one of the main reasons for the run of successes in six series that culminated in the regaining of the Ashes last summer, will fulfil a final assignment in India with England before returning to his native Australia at the end of the tour to take up an identical role.
If, as expected, Donald gets England’s approval ahead of candidates who also include Kevin Shine, the highly regarded Somerset bowling coach, the appointment will be as high profile as Cooley’s was low when he joined England as a former fast bowler of modest attainments for Tasmania. Like Cooley, the new man will be in charge not just of guiding Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones in all aspects of their work and preparation but also of developing the emerging talent from county academies round the country, based at the National Academy in Loughborough.
Married to a wife from Birmingham, Donald has spent much of his time in the Midlands in recent years despite hailing from an Afrikaner family in the former Orange Free State. A superb athlete and bowling technician, he finished his career of 72 Tests with 330 wickets at 22, forming with Shaun Pollock what was for much of his career the most effective opening partnership in world cricket. Pollock has now passed him as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker but Donald enjoyed success wherever he played, not least as the spearhead of the Warwickshire attack.
He worked there under the guidance of Bob Woolmer, the coach of South Africa, who first got him interested in coaching. Since his retirement he has advised Warwickshire’s bowlers and several of the emerging fast bowlers in South Africa. He would have an instant rapport with Duncan Fletcher, the head coach, the key figure in the appointment, and with established Test bowlers.
Shine, more in the Cooley mould as far as his achievements as a Hampshire and Somerset fast bowler are concerned, could yet have a coaching assignment with England, possibly with the under-19s, who are managed by Andy Pick, the former Nottinghamshire fast bowler. There are still six days before the closing date for applicants and no appointment will be made until the ECB conducts interviews on February 11.
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Having planned originally to make do without a specialist video analyst and assistant coach for the tour to India starting next month, England have thought again. Mark Garaway,of Somerset, and Paul Farbrace, the former Kent and Middlesex wicketkeeper, who has had a number of coaching roles with the ECB, are expected to be applicants for the role occupied until the end of this month by Tim Boon, the new Leicestershire coach.
The ECB posted an advertisement on its website yesterday for an analyst and coach prepared to travel with England at home and away, with a Level 3 or above qualification and “expertise working with elite cricketers”. Interviews for the job will take place on February 2. An interim appointment for India is possible before someone takes over full-time from Boon at the start of May.
COACH CLASS
Born: October 20, 1966, Bloemfontein
First-class debut: Orange Free State 1985-86; retired December 2004
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County cricket: Warwickshire: 1987-2000 (except 1994, 1996, 1998); Worcestershire (June 2002). Career total 1,216 wickets at 22.76
Test cricket: 72 matches for South Africa 1992-2002; 330 wickets at 22.25
One-day internationals: 161 matches, 1992-2003; 272 wickets at 21.78