He had been with the team through 15 victories before the tour of India and despite his previous record he has definitely made a contribution. His detractors point to the fact that he was coach of Middlesex in a year when the county recorded its worst performance ever, and that he contributed to this, but then that is neither here nor there. He was also coach of Queensland when they won the Sheffield Shield after a long gap. The Board obviously does not want to rock the boat. Waugh jealously guards the privileges of the players, never missing a chance to remind the authorities that no matter what their role, it is the players whom the crowds come to watch.
Smaller crowds mean less money and less money means smaller salaries for officials.
Warne has his faults but he is a crowd puller. The board needs him around for some time at least. Buchanan's exit from the role of selector will make life much more complicated for Waugh. Though the Board has cited conflict of interest as one of the reasons for removing him from this post, his removal will mean that there is a much greater chance of cohesion within the team decreasing. And with Australia due to face their toughest rivals, South Africa, in the coming summer, that is something the team needs like a bullet in the head.