Duncan Fletcher named India coach

Duncan Fletcher the former England coach and former Zimbabwe captain, will take over from Gary Kirsten as India's coach, ending weeks of speculation after Stephen Fleming and Andy Flower had also emerged as contenders for job. The BCCI announced the decision to give Fletcher a two-year contract after a Working Committee meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. Eric Simons' tenure as the team's bowling coach was also extended.

Fletcher, though, is unlikely to be part of the team during the tour of the West Indies in June. "The contract with Fletcher is for two years," N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, told reporters after the meeting. "He may not join the team in the West Indies as he has some prior commitments."

Fletcher, 62, was in charge of the England team when they beat Australia in 2005 to win the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87, and was credited with turning around England's fortunes in Tests, first with Nasser Hussain and then with Michael Vaughan.

He was England's first foreign coach and took over in 1999; soon enough, he oversaw Test series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, though Australia thrashed England 4-1 in the Ashes in 2001. Later, with Vaughan, he helped England win their first Test series in South Africa post apartheid and the pair played a critical role in moulding a team that was to win the Ashes the next year.

One of Fletcher's problems during his England reign was a tetchy relationship with the media, something which Vaughan felt could be a hindrance in his India job as well. "Duncan will work well with all the talent," Vaughan tweeted. "His biggest challenge will come from the media..he has never really understood how it works."

However, Fletcher, who coached England for eight years, was unable to revive their ODI form and his tenure reached its lowest ebb during a 0-5 drubbing in Australia in 2006-07. Following a disappointing 2007 World Cup campaign, Fletcher resigned. He joined South Africa as a batting consultant in 2008 and returned to them for the 2011 World Cup, and was in a similar role with New Zealand on their tour of India last year.

England were officially ranked the worst Test team when he took over as their coach, and he will now take charge of a team that won the World Cup earlier this month and tops the Test rankings.