Duncan Fletcher facts for kids
Fletcher with India in 2015
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 27 September 1948 Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Allan Fletcher (brother) Ann Grant (sister) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 3) | 9 June 1983 v Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 20 June 1983 v West Indies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969/70–1979/80 | Rhodesia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984/85 | Western Province | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: Cricinfo, 24 December 2008
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duncan Fletcher (born 27 September 1948) is a famous cricket coach and former player from Zimbabwe. He has coached two major national teams: England and India. One of his biggest achievements was leading the Indian team to win the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. They won every game in that tournament!
Before coaching India, he was the coach for the England team from 1999 to 2007. Many people believe he helped the England team become much stronger in Test cricket during the early 2000s.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Duncan Fletcher was born in a city called Salisbury, which is now Harare in Zimbabwe. His family were farmers who had moved from England to Rhodesia in 1933. He was one of five brothers.
Duncan also spent some time in the army. He joined the Rhodesia Regiment in 1966 and later the Rhodesian Light Infantry. He became an officer and left the army in 1980.
Cricket Career Highlights
Duncan Fletcher had a successful career both as a player and a coach.
Playing Cricket
As a player, Duncan Fletcher was part of the Rhodesia cricket team in the 1970s. This team played in South Africa's main cricket competition. He also played for a team called Western Province.
After Zimbabwe became an independent country in 1980, Duncan became the captain of the Zimbabwean team. He led them to win the 1982 ICC Trophy. This win meant Zimbabwe could play in the 1983 Cricket World Cup in England.
In their very first match at the World Cup, Zimbabwe played against Australia. Duncan Fletcher was the star of the match! He scored 69 runs without being out and took 4 wickets for only 42 runs. Zimbabwe surprised everyone by beating Australia.
Coaching Cricket
After his playing days, Duncan Fletcher became a cricket coach. He coached teams like Western Province and Glamorgan before becoming the coach for the England team in 1999.
Under his coaching, England won many important cricket series. They beat teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, and South Africa between 2000 and 2004. In 2004, they even won eight Test matches in a row, which was a record for England at the time.
A huge moment came in September 2005 when England won The Ashes series against Australia. This was the first time England had won the Ashes in 18 years! Because of this success, Duncan Fletcher was given an award called the OBE. He also became a British citizen.
Later, Duncan Fletcher faced some criticism, especially after England lost the Ashes to Australia in 2006-07. His time as England coach ended in April 2007 after the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
In 2011, Duncan Fletcher was chosen to be the coach of the India national cricket team. He coached India for two years. During his time, India won eight series in a row, including the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. His contract with India ended after the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
Family Connections
Duncan Fletcher's family has other talented sportspeople. His sister, Ann Grant, was the captain of the Zimbabwe women's national field hockey team. Her team won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. His brother, Allan Fletcher, also played first-class cricket for Rhodesia in the 1970s.
