Aussies Sack Coach Arthur Ahead of Ashes

Sydney: Australia's Ashes campaign with England was in turmoil on Monday after coach Mickey Arthur was sensationally sacked, a report and sources said.

Arthur was dumped after a meeting with Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland in Bristol, the Sydney Daily Telegraph said.

A source confirmed the report was correct.

"James Sutherland and high performance coach Pat Howard will hold a press conference later today to discuss the coaching structure of the team," a Cricket Australia spokesman said.

It is unclear who will replace Arthur, whose contract was due to run until the end of the World Cup in March 2015, but Queensland coach Darren Lehmann is currently in England coaching Australia A.

Arthur appears to have paid the price for a poor Champions Trophy campaign and a lack of discipline within the team, which came to a head with the David Warner punch-up incident earlier this month.

Sutherland was furious and demanded the team crack down on bad behaviour.

Australia play the first Test against England in Nottingham on July 10.

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