EXCLUSIVE: Franks out of UAE coach race

Barnaby Read 23:11 12/09/2016
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  • Setback: Paul Franks was a favourite with several UAE stars to replace Javed.

    Franks, who took the UAE helm for their Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League Championship defeats to Scotland in August, was seen as the Emirates Cricket Board’s leading candidate.

    He had previously worked under former head coach Aaqib Javed during the UAE’s 2015 World Cup campaign as well as this year’s Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

    The Nottinghamshire Second XI coach became firmly entrenched in the Javed reign and was a popular choice among players when he took over as interim head coach for six weeks this summer.

    But the 37-year-old withdrew from the running for the full-time post due to commitments with his young family.

    “It’s pretty fair to say, after having had the chance to look at it from what it was and really think about the level of commitment that I would need to give from a family point of view, it’s probably unrealistic for me at the moment to be looking at taking it on a full-time basis,” Franks exclusively told Sport360°’s Talking Cricket podcast.

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    “I had several sleepless nights over it, and whilst I was never in a position where I said yes to anything or there was no official offer made, I did think about whether I wanted to be in it for the right reasons.

    “I desperately wanted it. The job really interested me, it’s just that I have a young family and I have a lot to deal with on a personal level following the passing of my father which came at an unfortunate time before that Scotland series.

    “I suppose at the moment it was just the wrong time for a variety of reasons. The job is a fantastic job, the players are really good to work with, the organisation of Emirates Cricket is going from strength to strength and I would really have liked to have been a part of it, it just wasn’t meant to be at this point.”

    Franks explained his situation to ECB chairman David East, UAE Cricket High Performance manager Will Kitchen and the board.

    “I spoke extensively with both Will Kitchen and David East and members of the board about what the future would hold,” he said.

    “I didn’t want to put them in a position because they’ve been very good to me over the last two-and-a-half years and I’d like to think I’ve worked very hard for them.

    “I thought the best thing to do was to get that out of the way quite early and it is now up to them to see where the next head coach comes from but it won’t be me at this time.

    “It was probably the right job at the wrong time, what with a young family and a level of commitment to being in the UK which is very important to me at the moment.”

    A senior member within Emirates Cricket told Sport360 that an announcement was imminent regarding the post and that a final shortlist had been drawn up, but Franks’ decision to opt out of the running will surely have come as a setback.

    The UAE’s next assignment is a T20 practice match against the West Indies on September 20.

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