Moores draws a crowd

Peter Moores cuts a relaxed figure on the day he was unveiled as Lancs coach

The presence of five television cameras in the Lancaster Suite at Old Trafford today suggested this was no routine press conference.

The front two rows of seats were already occupied by journalists when I arrived, a phalanx of photographers were huddled around the top table and members of staff from other departments at Lancashire had turned up to catch a piece of the action.

There was even a selection of Danish pastries, scones and fresh clotted cream. Now we knew this was a special occasion.

The reason so many people had braved the chill of a bitter winter’s morning to come to Old Trafford was to witness the unveiling of Peter Moores as Lancashire coach.

Managerial sackings in the world of football may be as common as a Gordon Ramsay expletive, but patience has not yet disappeared from cricket, and the appointment of a new man in charge remains an event of some significance.

That the new man in charge happens to be the former England coach – a position he held until barely a month ago – and the county in question is one of the biggest in the country, explains the larger than normal gathering here.

Indeed, in a week that saw two Premiership managers lose their jobs and England’s football team play the European champions, the fact that a county cricket story commands such attention is testament to the importance still placed on it by the media and, by extension, the public.

As for the press conference itself, Moores did not show the slightest sign of being overawed. This was hardly a surprise – he must have faced much tougher grillings during his time in charge of the England side, which ended last month following an “irretrievable breakdown” in the relationship with the then captain Kevin Pietersen.

But it was difficult to detect even a hint of apprehension, for which he could have been excused given that this was his first foray into the media spotlight since his much-publicised departure from the ECB.

Moores has gone from England coach to coaching the team he supported as a boy in just six weeks

Immaculately turned out in black suit and eye-catching green and yellow striped tie, Moores barely fluffed a line as he took questions from the floor for the best part of half an hour.

He discussed England with admirable honesty, admitting the decision to relieve him of his duties was “hard work” and that he has spent much time looking back and “asking if you could have done things a different way”.

He spoke passionately about taking charge of the team he supported as a boy – Moores was born in neighbouring Cheshire – and no-one would suggest his claim that this is the one coaching job he craved above all others except England was not genuine.

A self-confessed fatalist, Moores nevertheless expressed surprise at the recent turn of events – “a lot has happened in those six weeks” he said, rather euphemistically – and any niggling doubts he may have had about returning to the county scene so quickly evaporated almost from the moment Lancashire director of cricket Mike Watkinson contacted him about the vacancy.

Aside from his England tenure, Moores is best known for steering Sussex to the first County Championship in their history in 2003, and it did not take long today – three questions, to be precise – before the subject of Lancashire’s search for the title cropped up.

They have not won the game’s premier domestic competition outright since 1934, but Moores made light of the weight of history resting on his shoulders as he outlined his mission statement to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

Moores addresses the media alongside Jim Cumbes and Mike Watkinson in the Lancaster Suite today

Addressing a group of journalists with no professional affiliation to Lancashire is somewhat different to fighting off the brickbats from fans who have a reputation for not being shy in venting their frustration.

But one suspects Moores, should he get an ear-bashing from disgruntled members in the notorious members’ stand – famously dubbed the ‘pit of hate’ by David Lloyd – would be more than capable of handling it.

He is a fine communicator, of that there is little doubt. It is one of the traits which stood out today as he responded eloquently and intelligently to questions from every angle.

It is sure to have played a part in him coming through what he described as “one of the tougher” interview processes he has experienced, although one suspects the Lancashire hierarchy will have placed immeasurably more worth on Moores’ coaching CV.

While Moores’ past achievements – he also won two one-day competitions during eight seasons at Hove – earned him this opportunity, his desire to move on also underpinned much of his maiden press conference as Lancashire coach.

Flanked by Watkinson and chief executive Jim Cumbes – Lancashire stalwarts both and sporting traditional Red Rose blazers – Moores told us he is keen to build on the proud history of the club, with a little bit of “tweaking”.

Watkinson and Cumbes nodded in agreement. It was a perfect picture of where Lancashire have come from – and where they want to go.