Melbourne: Coach John Buchanan, who presided over Australia's world record Test and One-Day winning runs, is to step down after next year's World Cup.
The 53-year-old Buchanan had been contracted to see Australia through the defence of their One-Day title in West Indies next year, and Cricket Australia confirmed on Monday that it would be his final act in the job.
"All cricketers make sacrifices to cricket over their family. I will have the opportunity after the 2007 World Cup to devote more time to my family," Buchanan said in a statement.
"There's a shelf life in coaching and I believe that following the World Cup it will be the appropriate time to hand over the reins to someone new."
A former opening batsman for Queensland, Buchanan took over as coach of the state side in 1994, guiding them to their first domestic titles in 1995 and 1997.
He was named coach of English county Middlesex a year later before succeeding Geoff Marsh in the national coaching post in October 1999. He then presided over Australia's most successful series of performances.
A 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in Harare in October 1999, the match preceding Buchanan's appointment, started a winning sequence of 16 victories which ended with the epic second Test loss to India in Calcutta in March 2001, when the hosts won by 171 runs after following-on.
Winning Spree
The One-Day team went on a winning spree of 21 games stretching from the seven-run victory over England in Hobart in January 2003 to the 39-run loss to West Indies at Port of Spain in May 2003.
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Buchanan came under fire, however, after the Ashes series in 2005 over selection and tactical decisions as England regained the urn for the first time in 18 years.
He also developed a reputation for his leftfield coaching style, slipping notes of the teachings of Chinese philosopher Sun-Tzu under players' hotel doors on tour and recited poetry in the dressing room.
Buchanan also recently made England coach Duncan Fletcher's diary a compulsory addition to the squad's reading list as they prepare to win back the Ashes later this year.
"My absolute focus at the moment, however, is the upcoming summer of cricket," Buchanan said. "I am extremely excited about the challenges we face with the ICC Champions Trophy, the Ashes and One-Day international series and the 2007 World Cup."
"This summer is a significant moment in Australian cricket's history. We are playing three huge tournaments in a brief period of time with a view to winning them all." The five-Test Ashes series starts in Brisbane on November 23.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said a committee would be established next month to find Buchanan's successor.
"The success he has helped achieve is a driving force behind cricket's continued growth in this country and one that we are extremely grateful for," Sutherland said, adding that he hoped Buchanan would continue in some role within Australian cricket.
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