JOHANNESBURG (South Africa) - Quietly spoken Graham Ford has been entrusted by the United Cricket Board to take the highly competitive South Africa side into the next millennium after the World Cup as Hansie Cronje's squad prepare for life without Bob Woolmer.

A 38-year-old with the ``good neighbour next door image'' and the father of two young sons, Ford has signed a three-year contract with the UCB and which starts on July 1.

It was Ford who was the mystery A N Other who met the sub-committee, formed to find Woolmer's replacement, at the Wanderers last Saturday.

A former Natal B captain in the 1980s, the Natal Dolphins coach had initially withdrawn from the list of candidates in line for the job but friends and advisors pointed out that South Africa's commitments over the next three years is not as hectic as it has been the last two years.

After a discussion with his wife Liz he made himself available again.

``It was pointed out to me that perhaps I had been a little hasty in stepping back and when I had another look at the itinerary in black and white I found that it was not as hectic,'' he said.

Yet for those used to the more flamboyant role Woolmer has played as coach of a team which was young in experience when he took over in October 1994, Ford's quiet, hands on style of management will come as a surprise. He is expected to take the coaching portfolio to a new level and could be more of a facilitator with broad ideas than set strategic plans.

He learnt a lot about the requirements of a coach at international level when assistant to Woolmer during the recent New Zealand tour. Although he has no international experience as a player he comes with the sort of credentials which saw him advance swiftly through the ranks.

He partly acknowledged this help yesterday when the announcement was made.

``I have been fortunate to have been in Sri Lanka with the A team and then coach alongside Bob (Woolmer) in New Zealand,'' he said. ``I have learnt a lot from both tours.

``But to try and fill his shoes without having had the opportunity to coach along side him would have been most difficult,'' said Ford yesterday.

``I'm still going to need a lot of support from the provincial coaches and senior players within the squad and ex players. They are all going to play an important role in making a success of the national team.

``I am also aware that I have a lot to learn from all those people in the system, but hopefully we can pool all the resources and make sure the job is done effectively,'' he confided.

The man who has had a hand in helping shape the careers of Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Derek Crookes and to an extent Jonty Rhodesand Andrew Hudson, felt the challenge facing him and the South African side was still a difficult one.

His first test as coach is when South Africa play Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein in October and then in Harare in November, by that stage he feels the influences of Woolmer and Cronje will give him a chance to settle into the job.

Educated at Maritzburg College and university, where he started his career as a sports officer and coach in the 1980s Ford took over at Natal coach in the 1992/93 season and many regard his quiet, hands on input behind the scenes as being the reason for Natal's success in 1984/85.

They way he eased the South African A side through the trauma of the first 12 days of last year's tour in Sri Lanka showed his strong and purposeful personality.

The way he worked with the players on that tour and his long hours in the nets, did much to help Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Derek Crookes re-establish themselves, especially Gibbs.