Ashes-winning coach expected to go

[self_shattered]

Speculation mounts over Fletcher future

Speculation is rife that the ECB will announce an end to Duncan Fletcher's time as England coach at a press conference in Barbados later today. ECB chairman David Morgan, who flew to the Caribbean on Wednesday, is scheduled to face the media at 11.30am local time (1530 GMT) at the team hotel.

Shortly before the conference was due to start, the BBC reported that Fletcher was on his way and that Peter Moores, currently the England Academy coach, would take over on a temporary basis pending the publication of the Schofield report, into the Ashes debacle and World Cup failure, in May.

No sooner had he arrived that Morgan was locked in high-level discussions with other leading ECB officials. Fletcher is on a rolling one-year contract, which means either party has to give a year's notice to end the deal. That means that the ECB will need to come up with a pay-off package - including a year's salary worth around £300,000 - if it wants to end the relationship.

The normal practice following an England match is for Fletcher to speak to the media the next day. But after the nine-wicket hammering against South Africa which sent them out of the World Cup, he instead played golf with Michael Vaughan.

Last night England spokesman Andrew Walpole refused to elaborate ahead of the press conference. "We know what are the issues being discussed by the media and we feel that the best time to deal with those is tomorrow and the best person to deal with them is the chairman," he said. "We have not asked the coach to speak. I am not prepared to explain why."

[self_shattered]

Duncan Fletcher has resigned as England's coach and will leave his post after their World Cup campaign is completed on Saturday.

David Morgan, the ECB chairman, confirmed the news at a press conference at the team hotel in Barbados and added that the ECB hoped to be in a position to name Fletcher's temporary replacement, or possible long-term successor, within 48 hours. "We are well down the track of identifying someone who will come in as a successor, in Duncan's place, quite quickly," said Morgan.

However, John Carr, the ECB director of cricket operations, refused to confirm any of the names that are in frame to replace Fletcher, saying details needed to be settled before an announcement is made.

Fletcher informed the ECB on April 10, the day before England's match against Bangladesh, that he would be handing in his notice at the end of the World Cup. Carr said they met at Fletcher's request, but explained it was important to keep the news confidential while England were still trying to qualify for the semi-finals. The players found out about Fletcher's decision during their morning training session on Thursday.

The ECB board had a telephone conference yesterday where the board were informed that Fletcher intended to resign. Morgan was quick to pay tribute to what he has achieved over the past eight years. "I think he's achieved a great deal. Our performances in the Test match arena have been transformed in the eight years he's been with us," he said. "I do believe that Duncan Fletcher has done a tremendous job for us. The last winter has been a difficult one and a very disappointing one."

Fletcher said in a statement: "This has been a difficult winter for the team and for me personally, but I believe that my record as coach over the past eight years is one in which I can take great pride. I would like to thank all the players and the management team for their contributions, the ECB for its support and for giving me the opportunity to coach England; and the England fans for their ongoing support."