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Only the offer of a lifetime will tempt Shane Warne or Tom Moody to consider accepting one of world cricket’s most demanding jobs – coaching England in an Ashes year.
Warne has dead-batted speculation linking him with the coaching post made vacant by England’s sacking of Peter Moores on Wednesday, which coincided with Kevin Pietersen’s resignation as captain.
And Moody – arguably a better coaching candidate than the former legspinning star given his background with international, English county and Australian state teams – has done the same.
Warne was linked with the England coaching position given his friendship with Pietersen, but he has been critical of the role of coaches in cricket in the past and his current commitments would appear to rule him out of contention.
Warne, 39, currently juggles family commitments with commentary stints, business ventures and appearances at poker tournaments.
He is also set to rejoin the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League this year – at a time when England will turn their focus to the regaining the Ashes.
Warne wrote in his column in Britain’s The Times that he could not devote enough time to do the job properly.
“Let me say I am in no way, shape or form considering coaching England,” Warne wrote.
“I’m loving what I’m doing, especially the Channel Nine commentary, and there is no thought of coaching England or anyone else.”
However, Warne left the door ajar – ever so slightly – by declaring: “The only way I’d do that is through an offer so financially outrageous it would be impossible to refuse.”
Moody, who has previously coached Worcestershire and Sri Lanka and currently oversees Western Australia, said he had not been approached by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
He also said he would be reluctant to move unless an offer emerged that was too good to be true.
“In this day and age you are not going to turn your back on any opportunity, but … I’m very happy here in Perth, the family’s settled, I’ve got a great job, enjoying what I’m doing,” he said.
“I’ve got no reason to look further afield.”
Moody also doubted whether Warne had the inclination or time to commit to coaching the country he tormented so many times.
“It’s an interesting one given Shane’s public feelings about coaches and how they fit into the scheme of things,” he said.
“There’s no doubt Shane’s a great leader, a great motivator, but whether he would want the job, whether he would be effective 24/7 or just as a consultant – maybe (that’s) a better use of Shane Warne.
“He’s got a few games of golf and a few hands of poker to play I think, so he may not have the time.”
While the sight of Warne coaching England would dismay many Australians, his former teammate Justin Langer said times had changed.
“I guess when Rod Marsh went and coached the academy in England and I saw Rod Marsh in an England tracksuit, if I could see Bacchus in it then I could see anyone it it,” Langer said.
“It’s a professional world and a professional set-up today, and if it happens, it happens.”
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