大象传媒

Duncan Fletcher became a national hero in 2005 when his England cricket team defeated Australia to take the Ashes for the first time in a generation.

Little more than a year later he'd turned into a national villain. England had surrendered the Ashes in the most humiliating fashion, beaten 5-0 Down Under. Then they looked utterly lost in the one-day series that followed, as they suffered defeat after defeat.

But suddenly the team turned the cricket world on its head by defeating Australia in the finals to win the one-day tournament in Sydney, and raised hopes that they would mount a decent challenge in the World Cup in March. It could be Fletcher's last tour as England coach.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins profiles the Zimbabwean who's presided over both one of England's greatest triumphs and humiliating defeats.