Donald to leave England role

Allan Donald will not continue in the role of England bowling-coach after deciding he does not want to tour, preferring to spend time with his family. The former South Africa seamer will instead take-up a similar role at his former county Warwickshire.

“I am grateful to the ECB for the chance to work with the England team and a staff that is one of the best in world cricket,” Donald said. “I wish Peter Moores, the England team and management every success in the future and I am grateful for the experience of the last five months.”

Moores himself commented: “It’s disappointing in some ways when someone can’t fulfill a role that they have started very well. But we have got plenty of people out there to be able to help the bowlers and move things forward. At the end of the day it is about the player not the coach. The players take the responsibility. The coach is there to help but realistically it is down to them when they walk on the field.”

Durham’s Ottis Gibson had already been drafted in to cover the role for the tour of Sri Lanka, just getting underway, after Donald pulled-out due to commitments as a television commentator. The West Indian seamer had already worked with the ECB Academy. He is expected to play once again next season, however, after taking 80 County Championship wickets in 2007, and Moores said the future would be thrashed-out during the tour.

“Ottis is contracted through to Christmas,” he explained. “He has obviously had a fantastic season with Durham as a player. He’s got some decisions to make on his future, whether that is to continue playing or coaching in the short term.”

“We will talk to Ottis. We are together for the next two or three months so we’ll know where he is coming from and it gives us all a chance to settle down now and see how we take it forward.”