England`s new assistant coach Paul Farbrace admitted on Thursday that it was impossible turn down the job even though he will have mixed feelings when he faces former employers Sri Lanka next month.
|Last Updated: Apr 25, 2014, 08:40 AM IST|Source: AFP
London: England`s new assistant coach Paul Farbrace admitted on Thursday that it was impossible turn down the job even though he will have mixed feelings when he faces former employers Sri Lanka next month.
Farbrace was lured away from his role as Sri Lanka coach by the opportunity to work as number two to new England head coach Peter Moores.
The former Kent wicketkeeper met Moores and a handful of players at the National Performance Centre in Loughborough on Thursday just 24 hours after his release from Sri Lanka Cricket was completed.
Farbrace had only been in his previous post since December, during which time the Englishman had led the Sri Lankans to success in the Asia Cup and World Twenty20.
His departure after such a brief but successful tenure, and on the eve of the Sri Lankans` tour of Ireland and England, has caused some consternation in Colombo.
Farbrace concedes the switch has come at an awkward time for all concerned but could not resist the lure of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
"It doesn`t look great from the outside, someone leaving a job after four months, and I understand from a Sri Lankan point of view that there is disappointment because it was a successful time," he told BBC Radio Five.
"I understand there will be that disappointment but as I went back to explain to them on Monday, the opportunity to work with my own team, my own country, and be working from home was an offer I couldn`t really refuse.
"The opportunity to work with your own national team is almost beyond your wildest dreams. It`s a fantastic opportunity and a great time to be involved.
"There was some disappointment but most people in the room understood the situation. I like to think we finish on reasonably good terms.
"It will be interesting for me and the players that the series in a couple of weeks is against Sri Lanka and there will be some mixed feelings because I built some good relationships - not just this time but the previous time - with the players.
"As a coach you do make good, strong relationships and they`re not easy things to put to one side when you`re playing against them."
Having had the details of his appointment ironed out in time to get to work with Moores this week, Farbrace is now enthused about the challenge ahead.
"I came across Mooresy in international cricket, when he was coach of England and I was assistant at Sri Lanka, and in county cricket when we worked together on the level four ECB programme," Farbrace added.
"We`ve spent a lot of time together and he`s someone I`ve admired and watched work from a distance for a long time. It`s a brilliant opportunity to work with him."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.