[citation needed] Buchanan began his coaching career in England: he was player/coach/professional for Oldham in Central Lancashire league as well as Cambridgeshire in Minor Counties 1978 and 1979.

His initial results were very impressive, helping steer the team to unprecedented success, this included, at one point a record of 15 wins from 15 games played.

[2] Buchanan, along with former captain Ricky Ponting, led the side to numerous successes, including a world-record 16 consecutive Test match victories and 23 ODI victories in world cup tournaments, Buchanan only not involved in the first one, a 2001 and 2002–03 Ashes domination winning both series 4–1, the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa, the 2004 tour of India, in which Australia hadn't won a series there in thirty-six years, and more recently, following their shock Ashes defeat, a whitewash of the Super Series that saw the Aussies up against a World XI.

[3] However, former captain Ponting has credited him as being one of the important reasons[4] why Australia completed their World Cup hat trick of wins.

In mid-2006, Buchanan confirmed that at the conclusion of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, he would step down, possibly to coach the Southern Redbacks.

During the second season of the IPL, Buchanan's strategies for KKR raised a lot of controversies which were further elevated because of the team's poor performance.

[14] He was heavily criticised as he gave Black Cap player Ross Taylor the captaincy over the more likely candidate Brendon McCullum.