Brearley questions Moores choice

I question the manner and timing of his selection as England head coach Mike Brearley on Peter Moores

Former England captain Mike Brearley is concerned by the speed of the choice of academy boss Peter Moores to succeed Duncan Fletcher as England coach.

"I question the manner and timing of his selection as England head coach. His selection smacks of favouritism," he wrote in The Observer newspaper.

"Installing him permanently in the job at this stage risks putting him in too difficult a position.

"If things go wrong, the future of an excellent person might be compromised."

Brearley led England in 31 of his 39 Tests, including the victorious Ashes series of 1981.

He added: "Moores should either have been selected as provisional coach, or allowed to get experience with the England squad under someone else.

"My second reason for feelings of misgiving is that there can have been no proper search.

"However good Moores is, there was no time to advertise the job, and it is not right for such an important job to be handed out without proper competition.

"We should have had more rigorous discussion and careful thought about what this new coach's role will be, and in what sort of a set-up."