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JOHANNESBURG: Duncan Fletcher, England's 2005 Ashes-winning coach, said Friday that Australia's beleaguered cricket team is ''in the wilderness'' following its poor showing at home in the 2010-11 contest.
Fletcher, now a batting consultant with South Africa, said Australia had ''taken a huge dip'' with the 3-1 test series loss to England, leaving the Australians, the No. 1-ranked one-day team, in a difficult position ahead of next month's World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
When asked for a prediction for the 50-over showpiece tournament, Fletcher replied: ''Who knows with Australia.''
''I don't know where they are at the moment, they are a little bit in the wilderness,'' Fletcher said. ''India must be favorites at this stage. It's whether they can handle that pressure at home. South Africa are going to be a huge threat (and) England are going to be a threat.''
The 62-year-old Fletcher also hinted he might apply to be South Africa's new coach, with Corrie van Zyl set to stand down after the World Cup.
Cricket South Africa this week extended the deadline to Feb. 18 for candidates to apply for the position, with former Proteas opener Gary Kirsten, currently the coach of India, the favorite to succeed Van Zyl.
But Fletcher could also seek his first head coach role since parting with the England team nearly four years ago.
''I'm not going to say I'd like the job, I'm not going to say I wouldn't like the job,'' he said. ''I was last in charge of a side in 2007, and if something came up I would look at it.''
When asked if he had applied for the job, Fletcher said: ''I think you are going to have to wait another month, isn't it?''
Fletcher, a former coach of South African provincial team Western Province, is to continue his role as a consultant with South Africa for the remainder of its five-match ODI series against India. South Africa leads 1-0 ahead of Saturday's second match at the Wanderers.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team lost the series-opener by 135 runs on Wednesday. It is both teams' final 50-over series ahead of the World Cup.
''I think it will be very important to start fresh in the next game, because whatever has happened in the series we have only played one game,'' Dhoni said. ''We just need to play to our potential.''
