Share

Eng to splash out on Gazza?

Cape Town - The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will have to double former coach Andy Flower's salary of £300 000 (R5.5m) if it is to appoint Gary Kirsten as England's next head coach.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald website, Kirsten, 46, who coached India to No 1 in the ICC Test rankings and the 2011 Cricket World Cup title, before leaving to coach South Africa to No 1 in the Test rankings, is seen as an ideal replacement for Flower, who resigned last Friday.

Kirsten now coaches the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils on a contract that is thought to be worth more than $500 000 a year (R5.6m) for what is little more than two months' work.

Kirsten, who is married with three young children in Cape Town, has a contract to work 50 days a year for South Africa as its batting consultant.

Kirsten was reportedly paid a salary of R4.5m for his two years at the helm of the Proteas from mid-2011 to 2013 - more than double that of his predecessors.

Kirsten is currently the third favourite with the bookies at 5/1 to succeed Zimbabwe-born Flower, with Ashley Giles, the current England Twenty20 and ODI coach, at 4/6 to take the reins of the Test side.

Following England's 5-0 Ashes humiliation at the hands of Australia, Flower said in an ECB statement ""Following the recent very disappointing Ashes defeat it is clear to me that this is now time for England cricket, led by (captain) Alastair Cook, to rebuild with a new set of values and goals.

"I do not feel like I am in a position to undertake that challenge."

England fared little better Down Under under Giles, going down 4-1 in the ODI series and losing the Twenty20 series 3-0.

England's next series will be against the West Indies in the Caribbean, starting on February 28.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2244 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE