By Rory Dollard, Press Association From Daily Mail UK

Moody was on the ECB’s shortlist earlier this year

The former Sri Lanka coach decided to opt out after early discussions

Moody believes England are struggling due to a lack of participation in the IPL and CPL

Tom Moody has revealed he was not ready to return to international cricket when the England coaching job came up this year and warned that Alastair Cook’s team is suffering from a lack of participation in the Indian and Caribbean Premier League.

The former Australia international was on the England and Wales Cricket Board’s shortlist to replace Andy Flower but opted out of the process after tentative discussions.

Another Australian, Trevor Bayliss, was the only overseas candidate interviewed by the ECB, who were keen to appoint a homegrown coach, but Moody’s formidable CV would surely have made him a strong contender.

Instead, Peter Moores returned to the post and Moody continued his role with IPL franchise Hyderabad Sunrisers as well as a new job as director of cricket at the CPL, which begins on July 11.

Outlining his decision to stand aside, the 48-year-old said: ‘I had conversations with the ECB but I made the decision not to continue my interest in the position.

‘I’m very fortunate to have some incredibly exciting jobs with the CPL, the IPL and in the media and I wasn’t ready to make the leap of faith back into international coaching.

‘Who knows, I may have thrown my hat in and come fourth or fifth.

‘Like most things in life it was down to timing, and it wasn’t right for me, but it’s an incredibly attractive job and I certainly wouldn’t close the door on international coaching in the future.’

As for the scale of the job he decided against pursuing, Moody sees both an intriguing challenge and a difficult set of circumstances.

The idea of regenerating a side that was partially dismantled as a result of the Ashes whitewash last winter is an appealing one to him, but he is mindful of the fact that England’s schedule rules most players out of joining other global stars at the IPL and CPL.

‘England is a very attractive job right now because any job where you’re coming in at the rebuilding stage is exciting,’ he said.

‘There’s an opportunity to put your thumb print on the team, on the brand of cricket you want, on the values you think are important.

‘But losing to Sri Lanka last month was a bit of a wake-up call and when the India series starts (on Wednesday) it’s not a given that it’s just going to be a home-patch win.

‘Teams are getting wiser and smarter about playing in other parts of the world and franchise cricket – the IPL, the CPL – is a lot to do with that.

‘It’s a lot of international players sharing a dressing room, breaking it down.

‘England’s summer is the reason they can’t do that and, forgetting about the financial side, they are missing out on a unique opportunity.

‘These competitions are the best learning experience you can have as a player or a coach.

‘Take a young player like Jos Buttler…if he’s not there there’s no doubt his progress is not going to be as rapid as someone who is getting those experiences.’

Tom Moody is the International Director of Cricket for the Caribbean Premier League. The Biggest Party in Sport begins on 11th July in Grenada. For more info visit CPLT20.com

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