As he was cheered through the streets of London on an open-top bus after England's 2-1 Ashes series triumph in 2005 over Australia, it must have crossed Fletcher's mind to step down after six years of hard work had borne fruit.
Instead, he decided to stay on and his team have been in steady decline ever since with the World Cup debacle following a 5-0 mauling by Australia in the return Ashes series.
His reasons for continuing in the role could only be guessed at. Perhaps it was a yearning for more international cricket after he was deprived of so many appearances as a player.
He captained his native Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, including their opening shock win against Australia. However, the six matches in the tournament constituted his only international caps as Zimbabwe were not yet a Test nation.
The all-rounder then turned his attention to jobs which perfectly suited his precise, dedicated and under-stated nature.
He devised Zimbabwe's car registration system and also spent time working in systems management.
Image: Fletcher with captain Michael Vaughan pose with the Ashes urn during day five of the Fifth Ashes Test at the Brit Oval on September 12, 2005
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