John Buchanan said he was "shocked and disappointed" at being sacked as the Kolkata Knight Riders' coach.

Buchanan said that the actual deal was to build the team over five years.

Buchanan could not help the team's cause in the first two years of the Indian Premier League and the KKR finished bottom-placed in the second season while courting maximum number of controversies, including the Australian's multiple-captaincy theory.

"SRK had a change of direction"

"We were trying to build something over five years but Shah Rukh Khan, the owner and King of Bollywood, had a change of direction and I was told I was no longer needed. That was a a shock and a disappointment," he said.

Buchanan felt Sourav Ganguly, who captained the team in the inaugural season, was not up to the pace demanded by the game which resulted in their losing the close matches.

"(Sourav) Ganguly was the icon player and the captain of the outfit and I told him I didn't believe he was up to the pace of the game. We got to the last over in nine games and lost them, getting to the last ball five times and losing," he was quoted as saying by the 'Courier Mail'.

The former Australian coach, who is recuperating after a minor eye surgery, also created controversy when he accepted the job of a consultant to England's cricket team just ahead of Ashes.

"I'd never coach another state or international side. There are certain loyalties involved but to help another coach? I'm quite happy to do that," Buchanan clarified.

"Warne likes to be the centre of attention"

Asked about his barbed relationship with Shane Warne, Buchanan said the legendary bowler's only agenda was to be in news.

"I think so. The thing about Warnie is that his agendas are pretty open. He just likes to be the centre of attention and be at the centre stage. He has a good way of managing that and finding his way there."

In a candid admission, Buchanan, also said his ability and ambition to play for Australia did not match up.

"I was going to wear the baggy green cap like 60 to 70 per cent of young boys growing up but in the end, ambition and ability didn't quite match up so I retired from playing in the mid-'80s. By that time, it was well and truly in my mind that it wasn't as a player that I was going to make it in cricket," he said.

Buchanan also said his extraordinary success as an Australian coach just happened.

"I was there about eight years and finished up by winning the World Cup in 2007. I never actually planned it all," he said.

Buchanan criticises long break for Ashes decider

Buchanan has criticised the long break between the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests, saying it could hamper Australia's winning chances by disturbing their rhythm.

Australia and England are level 1-1 in five-match Ashes series after Ricky Ponting's men bounced back with a win inside three days at Headingly.

The fifth and deciding Test will be played from August 20 at the Oval, making it a 10-day break for the teams. The tourists play a two-day practice match with England Lions at Canterbury on Aug 15-16.

"The only thing that could prove to be an obstacle is the break. They've got a couple of days off now but if they were walking straight into the next Test, there'd be no hope for England," Buchanan said.

The coach said England would bounce back in the final Test after a bad outing.

"England has a chance to lick their wounds and realise that maybe the last game was a bit of an aberration. They were always going to have a bad game and that's happened now so it's out of the way," he said.

He, however, felt Australia was skill-wise always ahead in the series.

"I expected it to be a tight series. I thought Australia had its nose just in front overall, skill-wise," he said.