Head hunting firm to consult Botham, 37 others before finalizing England coach

London, Feb 24 (ANI): Odgers Ray and Berndtson, an "executive search" company more used to filling positions in boardrooms than cricket dressing rooms, will consult 38 advisers including captain Andrew Strauss and his predecessors Nasser Hussain and Sir Ian Botham before finalizing the name of the new English coach.

Odgers' head of international sports practice Simon Cummins said one major advantage of this comprehensive, if laborious process, is that it eliminates any suggestion of an old school, jobs-for-the-boys approach.

Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, commissioned Odgers, The Telegraph reported.

"Hugh was keen on making sure that it is a very open and transparent and objective process. The idea is that by using a third party, he can introduce an extra bit of rigour," Cummins said.

"We have a list of 38 people to call and get their views - everybody from Strauss though to Botham, Hussain and ECB chief executive David Collier.

We want to look at the whole 360-degree feedback on each candidate.

Perhaps in the past it might have been a question of satisfying personal preferences, but that's not the way we operate," he said.

An advertisement on the ECB's website states that the new coach will be expected to promote "the highest standards of behaviour and discipline."

But Cummins emphasises that he is not looking for some sort of martinet. The experiences of Ray Jennings with South Africa and Greg Chappell with India suggest disciplinarians do not necessarily get the best out of their teams. (ANI)