JOHN Buchanan, the Middlesex coach, has been offered a one year extension on his existing one year contract at Lord's.

But there are worrying rumours that if the Australian accepts the offer to stay on for a further season, the players might not be too impressed.

Buchanan has introduced new methods of coaching his players, some of which have been very unpopular according to sources close to the club. An example is the way he video-tapes every delivery faced by his batsmen and bowled by his bowlers for deep and detailed analysis off the field.

Middlesex were beaten in two days in Portsmouth in the latest round of the county championship by Hampshire and Buchanan kept them on the south coast until Monday, forcing them to practise for four hours on Sunday.

He has not yet made a decision on the offer but has openly expressed his own concerns about the reaction he has had from his players, suggesting that he may turn it down.

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