BOOK REVIEWS
Autobiography
Behind The Shades
Duncan Fletcher
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BOOK SYNOPSIS
Before his resignation in April 2007, Duncan Fletcher have been the most successful England cricket coach of the modern era. He had, in fact arguably dragged the team into the modern era taking England to second in the world rankings after decades in the doldrums. Famous series victories away to Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa were followed by a record-equalling run of seven consecutive test wins in 2004, beating New Zealand 3-0 and the West Indies 4-0, respectively.
But it was the glorious some of 2005 that Fletcher's management and coaching skills reached their apogee as England regained ashes from Australia for the first time since 1985. Widely acclaimed as the greatest test series in the history of the game, this five match contest thrilled the nation with its extraordinary swings of Fortune as England came back from losing the first match at Lords to take the series 2-1. It was a personal Triumph for Fletcher and the high point of his tenure as England coach and perhaps inevitably it proved difficult to sustain those highs of emotion and Performance in the series that followed despite victory over Australia and New Zealand in the Commonwealth Bank series of 2006-07.
One of the most experienced and senior coaches in the game Fletcher now looks back over his life and career as he ponders his next step. What was it that drove him from a sporty and competitive Rhodesian farming family to the heights of international cricket. What lessons has he drawn from his successful business career in forging a winning team and what is his view of the future of English cricket and the perennial conundrum of how to bridge the gap between Australia and the rest of the world
Full of telling insights and frank assessments of the players and administrators he has had the pleasure or pain of working alongside, Behind The Shades is the riveting and revelatory autobiography of the man who put the pride back into the England cricket team.
