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Fletcher won’t hurt us: Swann

England spinner Graeme Swann feels Duncan Fletcher’s knowledge of some of the English cricketers might backfire on him when he tours here in July-August as the coach of the Indian team.

Swann said Fletcher, a former England coach, knows some of the players better than other coaches but there is also a lot that he is not aware of. The former Zimbabwe captain coached England from 1999 to 20007 and helped them win the memorable Ashes in 2005.

“Fletcher knows a few of our players better than some other coaches would,” Swann was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

“But there’s a hell of a lot of our team he doesn’t know at all. I think that will work to our advantage, because he might be trying to double guess us a little bit and come a cropper,” he said referring to home series against India beginning July 21 at Lord’s.

Swann hardly got to play during Fletcher’s tenure as the Zimbabwean preferred to go with left-arm spinner Monty Panesar. But Swann, who is now amongst the best off-spinners in the world, said he holds no grudges against his former coach.

“If I was a coach 10 years ago, I don’t think I would have picked me, and I wouldn’t have particularly liked me being on that tour,” he said.

Swann expressed relief that Andy Flower, also a former Zimbabwe captain, has decided to stay back as the England team director after reports that he might replace Gary Kirsten as the next India coach. “I had heard a rumour last week that Andy was taking the India job,” Swann said. “I was a bit mortified when I heard that. I love the job he does, because he always picks me.

“Then Jimmy (James) Anderson texted me to say that Duncan had been appointed. It’s nice for him to come back to England, because he’s got a fine record with the England team. Now he will get a chance to pit his wits against this new England side during the summer. Technically, though, I don’t think it helps him much to know a few of our players, because there is so much footage available that you can work anybody out,” he said.

Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag said the early appointment of Fletcher as the India cricket coach will help the team prepare well for the forthcoming series in England.

“It’s good for India. It’s a good thing that the board has found a replacement in quick time. It will obviously help the players and the new coach to settle down early. He (Fletcher) will get enough time to do home work before our series against England starts,” said the opening batsman. “Now that he is in charge of the team, we will have an early camp and it will help us to prepare better,” he said.