Buchanan chance to rejoin CA
FORMER national cricket coach John Buchanan is contemplating a shock return to Cricket Australia to replace sacked high-performance boss Pat Howard.
Buchanan said he had informally expressed interest and was awaiting clarification on the role before deciding whether he would apply.
Now coaching Wests in the Brisbane competition, Buchanan is one of Australia’s most successful national coaches.
He was at the helm of Australia from 1999 to 2007, one of the golden eras of the country’s cricket success.
Australia won three consecutive World Cups (1999, 2003 and 2007) during Buchanan’s tenure, but he was a polarising figure at times.
His impact on the team’s success was debated, with spin legend Shane Warne questioning whether Buchanan was needed in the set-up.
Buchanan was coach while Australia won 16 consecutive Test matches and worked with all-time greats Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Warne and Glenn McGrath.
The man who pioneered the use of computers in Australian cricket 25 years ago, Buchanan retains a keen interest in the country’s elite team and highperformance systems.
Cricket Australia is reviewing the structure of the highperformance chief role before advertising for applications.
Buchanan, 65, returned to club coaching this year, citing a desire to keep in touch with the game and interact with young people.
“In the corporate world there is a lot of talk about relating to young people, so this will really help me see how young people operate,’’ he said.
If Buchanan formally pursues the role, he will have stiff competition in new coach Justin Langer’s long-time confidant Ben Oliver.
Oliver, Western Australia’s high-performance manager, is understood to be a leading contender for the role.