"I'm not saying he is a terrible coach. In fact, I think he has done a good job. But, after a while, I believe a coach runs out of new ideas and the players get comfortable and complacent with him. He almost becomes too familiar and the players stop listening."

Boycott argued that Fletcher's weakness had always been in the one-day game, where in more than 150 matches since he took charge, England have won under half. In the last 12 months the results have been dismal, with only six wins in 26 ODIs.

He pointed out that Fletcher's constant tinkering with the batting order has not helped. "What is he doing with Michael Yardy? This is a left-arm spinner with just a handful of internationals to his name. And he went in at No 3 against India and No 5 against Australia. It's crazy.

"If I were playing for England and the team sheet went up and Yardy was batting in front of me, there would be hell to pay. I wouldn't let it happen. How do you think it makes other batsmen in the team feel? What sort of message does that send out if a left-arm spinner who bats a bit goes in ahead of you?"

And Boycott was equally scathing about the bowling, singling out the handling of the out-of-sorts Steve Harmison whose action, he claimed, needed remedial work. "But if it is so obvious to all of us ex-players," he added, "what are our coaching staff doing?

"Somebody needs to shake Harmison out of his malaise, but this set-up just seems to be too cosy for anyone to make that happen."

And he aimed a couple of shots at the senior management in the ECB as well, who he described as being "too comfy". He concluded: [David] Morgan (the ECB's chairman) may think Fletcher has a job for life, but that is just a recipe for stagnation. The time to move on is now. The dressing room needs some new personnel with fresh ideas and the ability to stimulate the players."

No one says it more clearly than ol' Boycott.

I think that Fletcher should be given a clean run until the end of the ashes tour. Depending on whether England win the ashes or lose should we judge Duncan. At the moment, knowing that the ashes tour is just aroung the corner, sacking Fletcher would be crazy. He proved himself last summer and he is capable of proving us wrong yet again. I do believe that the team needs a new face telling them whats right and whats wrong, but with Vaughn's injury career threating we need Duncan till the end of the Ashes tour. England have been sour losers in the O.D.Is as we all have witnessed but do not forget Duncans past achievements wiuth the squad, making all the players chip in in different ways. I strongly believe England need to play Pieterson at No 3 in all forms of the game, and strongly consider Harmisons place and he seems to be a one trick pony to me. He does not seem to have alot of armer in his game.

You are right mr boycott.I totally agree with you.All the english players are just there for issuing statements and always failes to deliver in the middle.I think they should stop playing one day cricket.

boycott to a degree has a point. it is time we started looking out of the box and pondering change. duncan fletcher has done a very good job in his time as coach, but i feel the need for new blood. tom moody or bob woolmer would be the safest choices, but back to the point, boycott is write to criticise the way things are run in some aspects but englands test record is fairly decent so we cannot forget this. england are just going through a a major form slump and i believe during and after the world cup they will have evolved, with or without fletcher

I have to agree with what Geoff Boycott has said, maybe the timing is not the best as usual with Geoff, but, I think in general the british public would probably agree with him. England as a one day outfit have been hopeless for years, cannot understand why as we do have some worldclass players, most of the blame should go to the management. Irresponsible selection process - How many players have we had in and out of our one day squad since the last world cup?? For years ex players have been harping on about test players being the mainstay of our one day side? well, we have now been there, done that and it's proved absolutely nothing. Players are still being picked on past achievements, I hope that after the world cup we start to get tougher and drop this comfort zone which we have in the test and one day side??

The change in national coach is probably one of the most important decisions a board has to make, it means a wholesale change in culture, aims, backroom management staff, tactical planning and its execution. It is not a decision to be taken lightly, it most certainly should not be a knee-jerk reaction.
If it is time for the coach to move on, it would be best that the selection procedure is carried out in such a way where the opening of the position is advertised and plenty of time allowed for potential applicants to put themselves forward. This would make for a much smoother transition, which would ultimately be more successful.
England are about to go to Australia in defence of the Ashes, and soon after will be taking part in the World Cup. The timing for such a change, were it to happen, is not now!

I don't understand the people who are claiming Fletcher even has a decent Test record. In the last 18 games (since the beginning of the previous Ashes), England have only won 7 tests, including 1 forfeited! Is 33% really that great? They've managed to win 2 (both at home) draw 2 (one home, one away) and lose 1 (away) series in that time.

The one-day side is a complete shambles, and only to a small degree due to injury, much more due to poor selection.

Get rid of him. Australia want a slightly competative oponent, not one run by someone who hasn't won an away series in a couple of years!

While you will always need people to create debate on such topics, Boycott's views ignore the evidence & circumstances. Since the ashes, the number of injuries have meant that we have had 4 captains and have been unable to consistently use the same squad. Pretty much the only person constant in the last year has been Fletcher. In these circumstances to draw in India and beat Pakistan 3-0 are fantastic results. Admittedly the away series to Pakistan and the home series against Sri-Lanka were disappointments, but name one current team who could have played as many series as England have done this past year, with so much disruption and done any better. Our ODI form has been poor, but the English game has always been geared towards test cricket and until our mentality changes, we are unlikely to do any better whoever is coach

You couldn't be more correct. The our whole team is playing like a non-test playing nation when it comes to ODIs. I cannot believe that Yardy in even in the squad. OK he is a spinner but he doesn't turn the ball that much even on turn wickets. The two spinners England have taken are defensive spinners who may keep the run rate down but won't take many wickets. Fletcher also needs to re-think exclusion of Monty Panesar from that one day squad. The pitches are turning square and Monty could regularly take 3-4 wickets a match (which against Australia could won us that match). Who cares if the boy can't bat or field, it will come with experience and practise but his bowling against Pakistan was the best spell of spin bowling I have ever seen by a English player. Fletcher has less understaning of the One day game than the average man sitting on the sofa watching England losing yet another One Day.

I think the England One Day team should be:

1)Strauss
2)Cook
3)Pieterson
4)Collingwood
5)Bell
6)Flintoff
7)Dalrymple
8)Sajid Mahood (If there is a slow run rate, you could promote him up the order to just smash a quick 20-30 of 10-20 balls. this means you could increase the runrate without risking a batsman)
9)Jon Lewis
10)Steve Harmison
11)Monty Panesar

I think England team management and coach should try there test squad as there one day team with few changes.

An already weak english team took on Australia in the Ashes series and had to put in all the energy, effort, passion, physique into winning the Ashes against a relatively normal Australia. This has been too much for them and it has been downhill since, look at the number of injuries, off form players, and a completely out of ideas coach. No more juice left its all squeezed out. Duncan Fletcher in or out Geoff, its not going to change Englands chances for some time to come. Sometimes they also serve who only stand and wait....

Stripe off the ODI status to England.Let them play some county matches in australia and get back their ODI status.

Boycott is right to an extent. ECB can try appointing a better coach. But no coach can shape England team. They dont know how to win the game. Better scrap the team. It solves many problems.

I am yet to see anyone who contradicts with Geoff comments. England has to really rethink on Yardy inclusion to ODI team,their Middle order is weak liek india team. They must bring Alistair Cook and have Ian Bell come at Number 3 in case of early wicket loss else KP is the best choice. Paul C would get higher in the order since he is playing consistently.

I'd also like G jones to come back in the squad as C reid is not performing well.

J Lewis should be in for D Harminson

I agree with Geoff. I think Fletcher does not understand that good OD teams should only differ from the test team in perhaps 2 or 3 slots in the starting 11. That is the case with all the current top OD nations. England simply have too many so-called OD specialists who are just not up to play at international level while some of the test players who have proven themselves at international level are sitting at home.

I must say from all angles that Boycott does have a point and it should be carefully considered the next move in the best interest of England cricket team. I do admire mr. Harmison but i think it is lacking of the interest of the coach to help mr. Harmison in his cricket. I admire him as a great bowler but when a coach reaches a point you get absolutely deminished in returns. I would like to see a much more productive england team... it can change and the sooner the better. Lets not be penny wise and pound foolish.

I agree with much of what Sean says except I would never include Harmison in a ODI team; his erratic length and particulary his line makes him too expensive in this form of cricket. At least in a 5 day test one off day might be compensated later, but in onedayers it can damage the team's efforts immeasurably!

what england needs is someone who can really turn the fortunes around. Players have got used to the same strategy that fletcher has got, and time and again, the stratagies are failing. The batting order is on mess. Secondly, england need to real hiters, someone like afridi, sehwag. Peterson alone cannot do the job. English batsman perish trying to go over the inner circle. Time for a change ! Thats for sure.....Good call Mr.Boycott. !!!

First things first. Boycs has always had it in for Duncan Fletcher, he doesn't like him and I take any comment of Boycott's about Fletcher with a pinch of salt. When South Africa were last here Boycott criticised Fletcher's employment of Troy Cooley as bowling coach "how many test wickets has he taken". Is Geoffrey still of that opinion I wonder?
The fact that our one day side isn't up to much is obvious but if my memory serves me well we had a decent one day aside while our test team was poor and most people said one day success counted for little.
Duncan Fletcher has revolutionised the England team with his thoroughness. We were a shambles when he took over. He isn't without his faults but perfection is difficult to achieve. Yes, he may have a shelf life and I suspect he won't want to do the job much beyond the ashes for his own sake as much as anything. Geoffrey will get his wish and we'll see then who takes over. If they do half as good a job as Fletcher I'll be surprised.

I believe Boycott is correct. Actually, the time to sack Fletcher was after the 5-0 whitewash in the one day series against Sri Lanka. However, he should be sacked only from the one day team. Two coaches can co-exist for one days and test matches. The main reason why Fletcher has been successful is because he is good with analysis. A 5 day test match gives him enough time to analyze, however a 50 over match gives him no time to analyze. Retain him for the Ashes but have someone else for the World Cup. Someone else can only do better for England in the World Cup. England have to analyze how to get Hussey in the Ashes and Fletcher is the only one capable of doing it. If Hussey succeeds, Australia will win the Ashes.

The change in national coach is probably one of the most important decisions a board has to make, it means a wholesale change in culture, aims, backroom management staff, tactical planning and its execution. It is not a decision to be taken lightly, it most certainly should not be a knee-jerk reaction.
If it is time for the coach to move on, it would be best that the selection procedure is carried out in such a way where the opening of the position is advertised and plenty of time allowed for potential applicants to put themselves forward. This would make for a much smoother transition, which would ultimately be more successful.
England are about to go to Australia in defence of the Ashes, and soon after will be taking part in the World Cup. The timing for such a change, were it to happen, is not now!

Is it time to sack Fletcher? Don't know the answer to that considering he has given a new life to England Test side. However, Mr. Boycott is absolutely right in pointing out his weaknesses with the oneday game. I think he is getting the most basic thing absolutely wrong; which is the batting order. In ODI's there is always that element of surprise with players like Flintoff and Afridi; but trying to use all your hitters during the powerplay is a recipy for disaster. And that is happening to the England side. You really have to send in your best batsmen up the order to set a platform, specially on Indian pitches; and therefore I really believe that Collingwood has totally been misused. He has by far been the best of the English batsmen and I would like to see him come in the top four; may be even at four. There openers are good but both Flintoff and Peiterson at 3 and 4 is stupid; as you'll lose both of your primier hitters at once. If you place a person like Collingwood in between these two, he will provide sense to both of their madness. He is the kind a batsmen who gives respect to good bowls and put bad bowls away. And on Indian pitches you need someone like him who can stick on if needed. So far Fletcher has been calling it wrong. First there was Prior opening the innings and now Collingwood is so down the order that he can't prevent a disaster from happening. I am sorry to say that if most of us can see it from this angle, why can't Fletcher?
If you look at every other team, they are sending their best batsmen at one down and two down; is he even paying attention to that? And Mr. Boycott is right to say that there is something wrong with Harmison's action, as it seems to be all over. Plus I think they should bring in John Lewis, they really need someone who can bowl wicket to wicket to apply pressure from one end. So far all their bowlers seem to be trying to take wickets; which is ok if you can really do that consistently.

Fletcher should have been sacked long ago.
His ill judgment was shown directly he sacked Chris Read as wicket-keeper and chose Geraint Jones. Number one axiom of choosing a cricket team at ANY level is choose your best keeper first.

Mr Motivator Boycott speaks again, a Bitter old man who Never put the team before his own ego.
Bitter because he only Captained England twice and never was asked to be England coach.Fletchers record is 2nd only to John Buchanan. The real problem is with David Graveney Chris Read weakens a poor one day side built around the obsession with bits and pieces players. .Remember what happened when The FA sacked Alf Ramsey Years In the soccer wilderness. Please don't let the ECB make the same mistake

Geoffrey Boycott came to the end of his shelf-life as a serious commentator on cricket several years ago. Why doesn't he cultivate his garden?

I think Boycott is correct and although it's too late before this ashes humiliation, his comments should shiver the timbers of the team set up. So well said the outspoken Yorkshireman. What other manager or coach would survive the chop with 6 wins in 26? That record is a disgrace and the way they succumbed like terrified startled rabbits was shameful. I'm dreading the world cup. It will be even more woeful...

Firsty I would like to point out that Boycott is doing part of his job i.e. providing critque on cricketing subject matters, which he does extremely well.

Secondly, however valid his comments maybe, I believe that it is ill timed with the Ashes just around the corner. Perhaps a coupld of months earlier or after the Ashes would have been more suitable.

Thirdly, he is partially correct in saying the coaches have a shelf-life. But that is the nature of any role that provides guidance, vision and take a team (not only a cricket team) from one level to another. After that it is time to either try something different or someone different to avoid 'stagnation' or rather a philosophy of 'having-spice-in-your-marriage-after-10-years'.

Lastly, who else is there at this stage within the world arena to coach England? It is a question of what you want, whats in the market and what you have.

At this stage I would place the onus on the players to perform from rather than blaming it on the coach. Give me another six months and I will be start with the coach.

England have picked too many so-called one-day specialists and fringe players in recent months who just aren't up to the task at international level, especially in the bowling department. The likes of Bresnan, Kabir Ali, Mahmood, Plunkett and Anderson have been and will continue to be torn apart by most decent batting orders.

In the batting department, England need Trescothick to open with Strauss, and Vaughan's injury has left a terrible void at number 3. These problems can be resolved when Trescothick and later Vaughan return from injury, but with the bowling, England really need to realise that the attack they have gone with just hasn't been performing.

I fully agree with Mr Boycott about Duncan Fletcher's absurd performence as a coach of England cricket team. Just because he has won the Ashes doesn't mean he can be persisted be forever. Some of you ask for explanation as what exactly the shelf life means which Mr Boycott has mentioned- It means to come out with new ideas, to think outside the bun and expect the unexpected everytime you take the feild.The shelf life is finished when the opposition almost predicted your next course of action. Look at today's coaches- Greg Chappel of India, how many times he has changed 1-6 of teams spots in both forms of the game, the result is for everyone to see, How much tactics John Buchannan is using for his Australian team by constantly shuffling the players so as to keep them on thier toes.Does that mean England don't have back up talent ? In fact they have the most back up players than any other cricket playing country . Thanks to County Cricket. For one has to be successful, one has to come out with something diffrent so as to surprise the opposition. Duncan Fletcher seems like he don't care as far as one day cricket goes. All his energies are channelised towards test cricket. There should be an accountability and responsibility for action.I personally feel that he has too much power to control the things "HIS" way.It's senseless to persist with Harminson if he is leaking runs, Yardy is a puppy of international cricket and Fletcher is sending him at no 4- this is absolute rubbish.Flintoff is wasting himself by coming at no-3. What is Robert Key doing in England after performing so good and so long. It appears like English team has no purpose everytime they come on the feild to play. Mr Flether- It's time to go the buggle has sounded.

You are right mr boycott.I totally agree with you.All the english players are just there for issuing statements and always failes to deliver in the middle.I think they should stop playing one day cricket.I think Boycott should be next england team coach.Because he is best from england.what do you think mr Boycott.will you work for your country.your country need a coach like you

Boycott's comments were spot-on but his timing wasn't. What was the point of lashing out at Fletcher with the Ashes and World Cup looming ahead? It is inevitable that the English One-day side isn't going to perform that well in the World Cup. This justs sinks them lower.

duncan fletcher must go on as england coach. It is a common english theme now that england officials show little or no loyalty to any of their players and it looks as if no loyalty is now being shown to duncan fletcher. Must i say that fletcher won england the ashes last year, and since he took over the job about seven years ago he has turned the team from being easy beats into a team challenging the best the world has to offer. duncan fletcher is the best coach england has ever seen and i fully respect both boycott and fletcher.

Ian Bell is england's best bat and must stay in england's ODI and Test teams. He will become one of the greats.

duncan fletcher must go on as england coach. It is a common english theme now that england officials show little or no loyalty to any of their players and it looks as if no loyalty is now being shown to duncan fletcher. Must i say that fletcher won england the ashes last year, and since he took over the job about seven years ago he has turned the team from being easy beats into a team challenging the best the world has to offer. duncan fletcher is the best coach england has ever seen and i fully respect both boycott and fletcher.

Ian Bell is england's best bat and must stay in england's ODI and Test teams. He will become one of the greats.

I often wonder how great the game would be if people like Geoff Boycott and also Aussies own Ian Chappell were to put their money where their mouths are and step up to a coaching job. Wouldnt be as easy to criticise when you dont have the "i get paid for my comments" line to hide behind.

I definitely agree that Mr. Boycott is right. But how is John Buchannan staying there since so long? Has he not got a shelf life?

I'd sack him just on the strength of not putting Monty in for the second test. That decision alone could have cost the series. Boycott knows what's he's talking about - there is a cult of personalities in English cricket - why did Jones go back in the gloves? Makes no sense to anyone. Why was Panesar left out - on the lame basis that Fletcher is expecting Giles to make up a run deficit in the batting line up? No he's got to go. Spot on Geoff - you can always rely on Mr. Boycott for good sense based on cricket judgement - Flecther has been negative for too long - we need new postive energy. As far as the rest of England's management are concerned I'm still seething about them letting Troy Cooley go beacuse they wouldn't stump up a few quid. Sack the lot for me.