Duncan Fletcher returns to English cricket

After an emotional farewell as the England coach after the 2007 World Cup, Duncan Fletcher will return to English cricket next summer as a part-time consultant to Hampshire.

After months of negotiations, the 60-year-old Zimbabwean has finally agreed a deal with Hampshire. He will look after the club's coaching structure.

"Duncan will act as an adviser and bring a wealth of experience to the club. He will conduct an audit into our coaching procedures and liaise closely with our coach Tony Middleton and Giles White. They will decide how to use his talents and I am sure they will draw a lot from him," Hampshire's managing director Rod Bransgrove said.

Fletcher, who lives in Cape Town, has turned down several jobs in South Africa before agreeing to join Hampshire. He coached England to Ashes success in 2005 and won two Test series in the sub-continent but lost his job following England's 0-5 defeat in Australia two years ago.

At Hampshire, Fletcher will act as a mentor to first-team coach Giles White, who was promoted in October along with Tony Middleton, who was put in charge of the club's academy. Hampshire last year finished third in the first division.