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Page last updated at 14:05 GMT, Monday, 6 October 2008 15:05 UK

Hants confirm Fletcher approach

Giles White
Giles White will try to improve on third place in the Championship in 2009

Hampshire have confirmed they have opened talks with former England coach Duncan Fletcher as the county looks to review its entire coaching structure.

Chairman Rod Bransgrove told BBC Radio Solent: "We are discussing a consultancy and advisory role."

Fletcher, 60, has been out of a job since resigning after England failed to make the 2007 World Cup semi-finals.

Giles White, 36, becomes Hampshire's new team manager. He had been in charge since Paul Terry's departure in July.

Bransgrove said of Fletcher's potential new role: "The purpose is to review the structure of our cricket department and to conduct an audit of our coaching methods and procedures throughout the entire player development process."

The club envisage that former Glamorgan coach Fletcher will make a series of recommendations at the end of the 2009 season.

Fletcher, who lives in Cape Town, had made no secret about his desire to seek a new job in county cricket following seven and a half years in charge of England.

606: DEBATE
BBC Sport's Oliver Brett

Under his guidance, the national side made important gains, including the 2005 Ashes success in addition to Test series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

But critics began to circle when England lost the 2006-07 Ashes 5-0 amid general feelings that the former Zimbabwe captain had outstayed his welcome.

Hampshire's playing fortunes were transformed after White was put in charge of the first team.

Victory over Nottinghamshire in their final game of the summer enabled them to finish third in the County Championship.

Imran Tahir took his haul in that game to 44 wickets in seven Championship games at a cost of only 16 runs each.

Hants have already secured the services of the Pakistan A leg-spinner again for next summer.

They have now also signed 37-year-old former England all-rounder Dominic Cork from Lancashire.

And White plans to further strengthen the first-team squad in the hope of mounting a challenge next summer for a first Championship title since 1973.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, White played for the county from 1991 to 2002, scoring more than 6,000 first-class runs, including nine centuries.

Bransgrove added: "In Giles White and (Academy director) Tony Middleton we have two excellent young coaches and managers of great potential.

"Both are looking forward to the possibility of working with Duncan next season with a view to optimizing our cricket management and development capabilities."

White told BBC Radio Solent: "It feels great. It's been a long six weeks and things have worked out well. I'm looking forward to doing it next year.

"For me to be able to have an influence on how it goes forward, I'm very excited about that."

Fletcher, who led from the front in the famous victory over Australia in the 1983 World Cup, moved gradually into coaching, winning trophies with Western Province and then Glamorgan.

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see also
Hampshire sign all-rounder Cork
02 Oct 08 |  Hampshire
Hants offer Taylor one-day deal
01 Oct 08 |  Hampshire
Fletcher ruled out of Glos role
08 Feb 08 |  Gloucestershire
Flintoff 'was drunk at practice'
29 Oct 07 |  England
Fletcher's legacy
19 Apr 07 |  England


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