David Lloyd (cricketer) : biography

With his contract extended to 1997, he oversaw a 3–0 victory over Australia in the Texaco Trophy, and victory in the first Test of the 1997 Ashes series at Edgbaston, however three of the next four Tests were victories for Australia, allowing them to retain the Ashes despite England taking victory in the sixth and final match. Prior to the winter tour of the West Indies, Lloyd played a "leading part" in persuading Mike Atherton to carry on as captain. Despite defeat in the Caribbean and Atherton’s eventual retirement, Lloyd’s contract was renewed again for 1998.

In September 1998, Lloyd received criticism from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Sri Lanka Cricket Board for calling Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan a "chucker", as well as for frequent outbursts following poor England performances. He initially announced that he was stepping down from the coaching role during the 1998-99 Ashes series in Australia following the appointment of Graham Gooch as tour manager, however in March 1999 he stated that that year’s Cricket World Cup would signal his retirement after talks with the ECB revealed that his contract was not to be renewed. He immediately joined Sky Sports as a commentator.

The ECB Chairman Lord MacLaurin reported to the media that "We owe David a huge debt for the job he has done as England coach since taking over the role in 1996. During his time in the job, David has introduced many innovations that mean we are now world leaders in several aspects of our approach to the game at international level. It would be a fitting send-off for him if we could lift the World Cup for the first time this summer." Meanwhile, ECB Chief Executive Tim Lamb stated "David has done a magnificent job for England, including delivering our first five Test series victory for 12 years. For the moment nothing is more important than a successful World Cup campaign, and I know that David will give his all in achieving this." Lloyd also commented that "I’ve had a tremendous time with the England side and I’m looking forward to completing my tenure with a successful and enjoyable World Cup campaign. It was important for me to have a clear picture of what my future holds. Now that the matter is settled this means the team can focus exclusively on the World Cup." Alec Stewart spoke for the team, stating "It’s disappointing news but it’s been a real pleasure to work with "Bumble", a coach who is thorough, loyal to his players and completely professional. He has brought a real sense of passion to the job of England coach and it would be great to reward him with the World Cup as a final vote of thanks from the players for all he has done for us."name="mediarelease"

Notes