By JMB
December 3 2006

Yorkshire legend Darren Lehmann wants to replace Duncan Fletcher as England coach. Fletcher is on a one-year rolling contract with the England Cricket Board, and it has been reported he might step down after the 2007 World Cup. Lehmann told the Sunday Telegraph "If the opportunity came up to coach England, I'd certainly want to do it."

Lehmann's former Yorkshire teammate Darren Gough is one of the leading figures in the push for Lehmann. Gough said on Thursday that rumours were strong that Lehmann would be approached, and added he believed the 36-year-old Australian would be a popular choice among the players. Gough said "He teaches enjoyment to the players, his knowledge is second-to-none, especially of the England players after playing in the country for so long. He has some amazing theories on how the game should be played."

Lehmann would not confirm he had been approached by the ECB but said he had the qualities required of a good coach. "I'd like to think I know the game well enough and I can work with players well enough," Lehmann said. "If you can do that, you can do some coaching at various levels. I can't imagine a better stage than to do it at an international level."

This news will make Yorkshire fans wonder why Lehmann has not been approached by Yorkshire to fill the role as head of professional cricket which is still vacant after Chris Adams decision not to join the county.