Fletcher signs extended deal

With news on the welfare of England's rehabilitating cricketers being as reliable and random as the balls coming out of Guinevere at the National Lottery, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) yesterday took control of the one issue it can influence; the future of their coach Duncan Fletcher.

On the eve of the England squad's departure for Australia, both parties were delighted to announce a one-year extension to Fletcher's contract, a deal that will keep him at the helm of the international side until at least the autumn of 2004.

On revealing the news, Tim Lamb, the Chairman of the ECB, said: "We are pleased to have sorted this out before the Ashes series starts because we did not want it to become a distraction over the next few months. To add another year to Duncan's current contract shows the measure of confidence we have in him and acknowledges the progress that the England team have made over the last three years.

"During this time he has proved himself to be an excellent man-manager, a sound judge of talent and an astute tactician."

Later, the 54-year-old Zimbabwean, who has been in charge of the national side since July 1999, said: "It is a great honour to have been given another year and I am pleased with the way things have worked out in the last couple of days. I am glad this issue has been resolved now."

"There is still a lot of work for me to do," Fletcher added, "but it is pleasing to see so many young players in our squad to Australia. If a few things come together over the next year or two England could have a very good Test side."

Yet if things are to go according to plan for Fletcher and his England side as they enter a busy and vital winter, he will require a clean bill of health from all those who are travelling to Australia with a question mark over their fitness.

Darren Gough, Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher and Simon Jones all take their seats on today's lunchtime flight but not one of them has yet proved they are fit enough to play in the first matches of the tour.

Unperturbed by this, Fletcher said: "Everyone is going according to plan with the only person being slightly behind – Andrew Flintoff. But we have been told he can get ahead of that over the next 10 days or so. All are on target to be fit for the first Test."

England's biggest worry however still surrounds their talismanic fast bowler Gough, who will not have completed a first-class game for over a year by the time he arrives in Oz. Denying allegations that he said he would not be fit for the first Test in Brisbane, the 32-year-old was talking a good game.

"I am ahead of schedule and hope to be up for selection for the first Test," Gough insisted. "I have had no twinges or swelling from the gentle bowls I have had and am confident things will go well. I am not worried about my lack of bowling because you don't forget to bowl. Within a week of starting up again I will be back into it."