Embarrassment for ECB as Peter Moores learns of his sacking through a leak

Treatment is ‘appalling’ says agent while ‘flattered’ Gillespie emerges as favourite to take on the England coach’s role

England head coach Peter Moores looks sets to be sacked (Getty Images)

Jason Gillespie admitted yesterday he is flattered to be linked to the job as England cricket coach on the day it emerged Peter Moores will be sacked from the post.

To the embarrassment of the England and Wales Cricket Board, the news Moores would be fired by incoming director of cricket Andrew Strauss when he assumes control on Monday, broke during England’s washed-out one-day international in Ireland. It is understood Moores had not been told officially and Moores’ agent described that as “appalling” .

Gillespie, who coached Yorkshire to the County Championship title last summer, is the ECB’s No 1 target to replace Moores. The fact that Colin Graves is taking over as the chairman of the ECB next week is likely to help the pursuit of the former Australia fast bowler. The pair have a close relationship and it was Graves who, as chairman of Yorkshire, appointed Gillespie four years ago to coach at Headingley.

Moores has paid the price for an abysmal winter, during which England were knocked out of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand at the group stage and then failed to beat West Indies in the recent three-Test series.

The defeat in Barbados last Sunday, which confirmed a 1-1 series draw, proved the final straw for a coach who has won just one series across all formats – the Tests against India last summer – since being appointed 13 months ago. It brings to a close a dismal second spell in charge of England for the 52-year-old, who led the side from 2007 until early 2009 before being sacked and replaced by Andy Flower.

Gillespie told the Adelaide Advertiser: “Any opportunity that comes up you obviously look at. It is flattering but I still have a job to do.”

In February, Gillespie, who has been hugely impressive as Yorkshire coach, said of the England job: “I wouldn’t rule it out. I love the English game; obviously we live here, and my daughter was born here.”

Andrew Strauss (Getty)

Another contender for the job is former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who has been successful as coach of Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings over the past six years.

It is understood that Justin Langer, the former Australia opener, who has impressed as coach of Western Australia since taking on the job in 2012, has ruled himself out of the running as he is reluctant to uproot his young family from their life in Perth.

With less than a fortnight to go before the opening Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s, the ECB will be keen for Strauss to act quickly and decisively to install the new coach.

Although the board will not officially announce Strauss’s own appointment until Monday, the fact that his decision to sack England’s coach has been made public is highly embarrassing for the ECB, which tellingly has refused to offer any denials of the Moores story.

Tom Harrison, the governing body’s chief executive and the man who rubber-stamped Strauss’s appointment earlier this week, was in Dublin yesterday. He was there only on a watching brief and not to fire Moores.

Strauss will do that on Monday and, although the tip-off about the coach’s fate is understood to have come from outside the ECB, it has not prevented criticism of how the organisation has handled the situation.

Luke Sutton, who played under Moores when he was Lancashire coach and now acts as his agent, led that criticism. In a series of tweets that were later deleted, Sutton wrote: “If the rumours are true, this is an appalling way to treat a thoroughly decent man. Peter Moores is trying to help a young Eng team today.

“This is going on behind his back. People should be ashamed. Treat people as you wish to be treated. Some people cld do with remembering that.

“Yeah, coaches are judged by results; but we are also judged by how we treat each other. Peter Moores is a good man who doesn’t deserve this.”

Nick Knight, working as an analyst for Sky Sports in Dublin, yesterday morning helped fuel the speculation – later confirmed – that Moores was on his way out.

Asked if he believed there would be a new coach, Knight said: “Yes, I do. I think Peter will move aside. I feel desperately sorry for Peter. The fact he’s here today says a lot about him. He could have stayed at home, but he wants to be out there.

“He’s desperately keen to be involved in this set-up. He genuinely feels that he is taking this team forward. I would have to disagree. With the results we’ve had, particularly with the World Cup and the series in West Indies, I feel there’s some international pedigree missing from this England set-up, and I think Peter Moores should be moved aside,” Knight declared.