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Subscribe to RSS Feed right time for fletch exit - illy
Fletcher - resignation announced on Thursday.
By Ben Rumsby, PA Sport
Former chairman of selectors Ray Illingworth insists "the time was right" for Duncan Fletcher's England exit.
Fletcher signalled the end of his eight-year reign on Thursday when he announced his resignation, which will take effect after Saturday's final World Cup Super Eight match against West Indies.
Since England's dramatic Ashes victory in 2005, Fletcher has come under increasing criticism for a severe downturn in their fortunes in both the Test and one-day arena.
Matters came to a head after England crashed out of the World Cup with a humiliating nine-wicket defeat to South Africa on Tuesday.
Illingworth believes England's players have lacked drive and direction in the latter part of Fletcher's reign.
He told Sky Sports News: "The players don't seem to have the motivation.
"They were down in the batting, the bowling, the fielding - everything looked very, very down.
"They had an atrocious winter, the Test matches, we never even came near. You couldn't go on going like that.
"We had to do something about it. It's right to change now, the time's right."
Illingworth believes some players need "a kick up the backside" from whoever the new coach should be.
"I think the captain, the players themselves, certainly have let (the fans) down," he added.
"They shouldn't need motivating - this is what I've said many times.
"We maybe need to remind the players they've got the £1million houses and things like that in Barbados and England by the fact that they made the effort to get there.
"Maybe they got complacent and need a kick up the backside.
"If you've got to stab somebody, you stab them in the chest. You don't go round the corner and do it behind them. I think players have got to accept that."
The former England spinner would also like to see the national team's backroom staff trimmed and access to family and other outside influences restricted.
"We've a lot more hangers-on now," he said.
You name them, we've got more people there than players. I think that's one area that's got out of hand.
"It's got too spread out. You need to keep it more in shop in a smaller group. I think that's what Fletcher did early on but lost that along the way."
Illingworth hopes the new coach will oversee a change in approach to the one-day game, where England have been lagging behind both tactically and technically.
He said: "We've not been flexible. The modern game with the powerplays and things like that, we've got to take advantage of them. We've not moved with the times."
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