Arthur’s eye on England job

Cape Town – Former Proteas coach Mickey Arthur has admitted interest in the vacant role of England cricket coach.

English media reports suggest the front-runner may still be Australian Jason Gillespie, who has achieved great results with Yorkshire, until recently something of a sleeping giant of the domestic county scene -- he took them to the four-day Championship title within three years of his 2011 appointment.

But Yorkshire themselves insist “it is all speculation”, whilst in the meantime Arthur has seemingly thrown his own cap into the ring.

He was quoted by BBC Radio 5 as saying: “I’d certainly have a conversation around it ... it’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Arthur also refuted the claim by another former Baggy Greens favourite, Matthew Hayden, that anyone applying for the job – Peter Moores has been sacked -- would be “crazy”.

English cricket has been clouded recently by a disastrous World Cup, slightly disappointing 1-1 Test series outcome in the West Indies, and then the controversial decision by new ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss to keep star batsman Kevin Pietersen out in the cold over “massive trust issues”.

But the 46-year-old former Griquas and Free State batsman spiritedly countered: “I don’t understand what Matthew Hayden is saying. It is the perfect time for someone to make their mark in coaching and take a team from where England are and take them forward in a good way.

“The team’s looking for leadership, the team’s looking for direction, the team’s looking for stability. Any person who can do that right now for England will have a real good chance of success.”

Arthur has not held a high-profile coaching position since his dismissal as Aussie coach shortly before the 2013 Ashes.

But a major feather in his cap remains guiding the Proteas to a first ever Test series triumph Down Under in 2008/09.

He quit his SA role in early 2010.