Surrey start search for coach

Mark Ramprakash reached 100 hundreds, but 2008 was a hard year for Alan Butcher

Surrey have begun the search for a new cricket manager after reaching an agreement with Alan Butcher over the details of his departure.

Butcher parted company with Surrey after the county were relegated from Division One of the LV County Championship in September.

In a statement released by the club, Butcher said: "I wish all the players, coaching and administrative staff the very best for the future.

“I have enjoyed my many years of association with the club and now look forward to the next stage of my career."

Butcher spent a short period as assistant coach in 2005 before being appointed cricket manager in 2006, overseeing Surrey’s promotion to the top flight of the championship.

But Surrey failed to win a single championship match in 2008, finishing 35 points adrift of safety.

There were also mediocre results for the Brown Caps in the NatWest Pro40, Friends Provident Trophy and Twenty20 Cup.

Surrey managing director Gus Mackay made clear that Butcher’s replacement would have to rid the club of the environment that contributed to Surrey’s relegation.

Mackay said: “What we really want to create at Surrey is a genuine ‘no excuse’ environment where everybody at the club stands up and takes responsibility for their actions, both on and off the field.

“Whoever takes direct charge of our professional squad will need to instil that environment at all times and we must all be united and committed to the cause.

“We’re not too far away from getting things right, so the person that we’re looking for will have the right skills to get the best out of a squad of players, to make sure that what’s talked about in the environment of the changing room then happens out there in the middle.

Alan Butcher bats under lights at Stamford Bridge in 1981 during the 15 years he was a Surrey player

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“If that is achieved, we should start seeing some results that are getting us back to where we should be.

Mackay, a former Zimbabwe international, confirmed that his duties at the Brit Oval had multiplied since Butcher’s departure.

“My role is covering all cricket and I’m very much focusing on the professional game at the moment because of the need for a professional cricket manager,” he explained.

“So ideally I want to get that sorted as soon as possible.

“However, we won’t be rushed into making a decision; we need to find the right person.

“If it takes us a little bit longer to find the right person then so be it – but let’s get the person right.”

Butcher played for Surrey between 1972 and 1987, when he left for Glamorgan. He made a comeback in 1998, aged 44, due to several absences through injuries and international call-ups.

From a strong cricketing family, his son Mark made his own Surrey debut in 1992 and skippered the county last year.

Paul Sheldon, Surrey chief executive, said: "Alan has been associated with the club for many years, both as a player and as a coach.

“We are deeply grateful to him for the service he has given to Surrey and he will be missed by his many friends at the club.”