England Coach reaches the end of the road

ENGLAND CRICKET head coach Andy Flowers has decided to call it a day after twelve years in various coaching capacities – with the English Cricket Board (ECB).

Flowers became assistant coach to the England team in 2007 and took over as head coach two years later. He has spent the last five years in charge of the England Lions – and Under 19s team which aims to gather emerging players and help them develop into elite ones.

Flowers came from Zimbabwe and has been involved with four Ashes series – three of which were won. He was also in charge when England became number one in the Test rankings back in 2011.

“The Ashes victory in 2010-11 stands out,” he told the ECB as he reminisced about his time with England and recalled his favourite moments. “It’s difficult to win in Australia and to do it so comprehensively was a really proud moment in my coaching career. It was wonderful to watch those young men take on that challenge successfully and have a great time doing it.”

“The win in India in 2012-13 was a highlight too,” he continued. “To overcome some great players in tough spinning conditions was a special victory. So was the T20 World Cup win in 2010. The way we played our cricket, with such freedom and aggression, really was fun to be part of.”

Flowers warmly recalled the help and support he had received from other famous cricketers, including Peter Moores, Hugh Morris and Giles Clarke. He classed working with Graham Gooch as a highlight of his career and thanked Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss for their support and friendship. Finally he thanked England’s “Barmy Army” – the fans who travel the world to support their team – for their dedication over the years.

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