Alan Butcher pays for Surrey's failure

Alan Butcher has paid the price for Surrey's dismal season and been removed as the county's coach.

Butcher met with Paul Sheldon, Surrey's chief executive, on Monday morning, and although no formal announcement has yet been made, Mark Ramprakash revealed Butcher's departure in his Daily Telegraph column.

"We are experiencing difficult times and the departure of Alan Butcher as coach has left a power vacuum at the top of the club," he said. "Like everyone else I am just sitting it out and waiting to see who comes in to replace Alan."

In what is a not unexpected clearout of the backroom staff, 2nd XI coach Nadeem Shahid and bowling coach Geoff Arnold are also thought to have followed Butcher out of the door.

Butcher, who enjoyed a 15-year playing career with Surrey, returned to the county in 2006 as coach, but his departure is a certainty after a grim season in which they have failed to win any of their 15 first-class matches, as well as missing out in the FP Trophy, Twenty20 Cup and the Pro40 second division promotion race.

According to getsurrey.co.uk, South Africa's Mickey Arthur and the former New Zealand captain, Stephen Fleming, are among the names on a potential shortlist, although the one man who is certain of a role is the former Surrey and England star, Graham Thorpe, who is lined up as the new batting coach.

There are changes in the pipeline in the playing staff as well, the most significant target being the Middlesex and England batsman, Ed Joyce, who could be drafted in to replace Ali Brown, who was released last week.