May 05, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1428

SYDNEY, May 4: John Buchanan will pursue a career as a ‘mentor coach’ after turning down an ‘indirect offer’ to replace Greg Chappell in India as coach.

After almost eight years in charge Buchanan has left the Australian set-up and will be succeeded by Tim Nielsen, whose first duty is to take the team to the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in Sept.

“There was some indirect contact from India,” Buchanan said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “But at the moment I am looking for new challenges as a mentor coach, and speaking to Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Sports Commission about that, as well as a move into corporate coaching.”

Buchanan said he still had some interest in working with international teams, but was looking forward to spending time with his family.

“I really want to be around for that period of (my children’s) schooling,” he said. “But that probably takes me to my late-50s, and if I would like to specifically be involved in the game, maybe I’ll have passed my used-by date by then. We’ll see.”

When Australia lost the 2005 Ashes Buchanan considered stepping down, but since then the team have completed a dream run by winning the Ashes 5-0 and taking the World Cup without losing a match for the second tournament in a row.

“It is a fairytale,” he said. “After the Ashes in 2005 I looked at whether or not I was really required, and had to answer those questions. But the last three tournaments - the ICC Champions Trophy, the Ashes and then the World Cup – to win three of those is an unbelievable finale.”

Nielsen worked as Buchanan's assistant on the 2005 Ashes tour and he has been given some advice from his predecessor. “Possibly the less he talks to me the better,” Buchanan said.—Agencies