Buchanan defends earpiece use

Australian coach John Buchanan has dismissed accusations that he used an earpiece to communicate with players during Sunday’s ODI against New Zealand at the WACA, saying the earpiece was only used to communicate with other staff members.

“Look I don’t think it’s anything like Hansie Cronje and Bob Woolmer,” he said.

“That was the captain and the coach discussing how the game would be enacted as it went along, so I don’t see it as anything like that.”

During the 1999 World Cup, Woolmer used an earpiece to communicate with his bowlers on the field. After an investigation was launched, the ICC concluded it was against the spirit of cricket. Woolmer then agreed to stop using the tactic.

“We, like most teams these days, try to communicate between where a coach is, where your bench or your people around the boundary are situated, and your dressing room,” Buchanan told the AAP.

“Often you are located in quite separate areas and quite a distance apart.

“We would just discuss what I am observing from up high as opposed to what somebody might be observing from down close to the field, or trying to get some information from the dressing room, from the physiotherapist.

“It’s an important form of communication because of the speed of the game. There is a need a lot of times to be able to talk to someone pretty quickly, rather than having to get somebody to take a message for you.