too good to turn down
london: England's new assistant coach Paul Farbrace admitted that it was impossible to turn down the job even though he will have mixed feelings when he faces former employers Sri lanka next month. Farbrace had only been in his previous post since December, during which time the Englishman had led the Sri lankans to success in the Asia Cup and World Twenty20. Farbrace concedes the switch has come at an awkward time for all concerned but could not resist the lure of the England and Wales Cricket Board. "It doesn't look great from the outside, someone leaving a job after four months, and I understand from a Sri lankan point of view that there is disappointment because it was a successful time," he told BBC Radio Five. "I understand there will be that disappointment but as I went back to explain to them on Monday, the opportunity to work with my own team, my own country, and be working from home was an offer I couldn't really refuse."
‘SRT spared of T20 influence’
Mumbai: Former India coach Greg Chappell feels the cricket phenomenon called Sachin Tendulkar the world saw could have turned out a bit different had he grown up in the current scenario influenced by the advent of Twenty20 cricket. "The big difference I guess from when Sachin was growing up is that back then he would have largely been watching Test cricket, and even one-day cricket as it was played had similarities to Test cricket in a lot of ways," Chappell has been quoted of saying by cricket.com.au. The former Australia captain, who was the coach of the Indian team from 2005-07, said Tendulkar's heroes would have been different had he been growing up in India currently as a cricketer instead of the mid-1980s. "His heroes, and the heroes of the guys he was playing against as a teenager, would have been the players who had established themselves primarily as Test cricketers. But as a young cricket fan today, particularly in India, you would be watching a lot of 20-over cricket. "And that in itself promotes the glamour and excitement of batsmen clearing the fence, and playing those sorts of innovative, higher-risk shots," said Chappell, who is currently Cricket Australia's National Talent Manager. "I have no doubt Sachin could cope with whatever form of the game he set himself for because of his incredible talent, but I guess the bigger question would be ‘whose game would he choose to model himself onIJ'," asked Chappell.
Atapattu Sl’s interim coach
Colombo: Former captain Marvan Atapattu was on Friday appointed as the Sri lankan cricket team's interim head coach, following the resignation of Paul Farbrace earlier this week. Sri lanka Cricket (SlC) also named former fielding coach and off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage as Atapattu's assistant. Atapattu's appointment makes him the island nation's seventh coach in the last four years. The appointments were made for Sri lanka's upcoming tour of the Ireland and England as well as the home series against South Africa, SlC confirmed.