“I don’t look that far ahead to be honest,” he said. “You never know what’s just round the corner in sport.
"I do take the responsibility that the England and Wales Cricket Board have given me very seriously and I’m supposed to make a difference to English cricket in a positive way. I’ll continue to do that.”
For starters he will want to see who the ECB appoints in Hugh Morris’s place as managing director of England cricket, after Morris handed in his resignation on Monday
Flower worked well with Morris, who is to become Glamorgan’s chief executive in the new year, and while it was felt that their relationship had perhaps run its course a while ago, he will want to see what rapport he has with the new incumbent when they are appointed.
The return Ashes series concludes next January after which England play no Test cricket overseas for the remainder of the year as the focus shifts to the 2015 World Cup.
The result of that Ashes series could be crucial and some believe Flower will have a job keeping the team together as several senior players may seek to retire from international cricket.
“I don’t think that will happen,” Flower said. “There will always be movement because it’s a competitive environment and we select the side we think will have the best chance of winning a match or series.
"In that regard it’s quite a ruthless world. No one’s there forever, no matter how great a player is, or however great an MD is, or however a coach is going. We all move on.”
The splitting of the role into Test and one-day cricket, with Ashley Giles taking day-to-day control of the latter, was done at Flower’s behest in order for him to achieve a better work-life balance, which was out of kilter with him being away from his young family for up to 250 days a year.
It was also done to increase his longevity in the job, with the ECB readily agreeing to the split role last December.
Yet that split, a difficult thing for an avowed control freak like Flower, is likely to be tested next year when there are no overseas Test matches after Jan 7.
Although not one to wallow in plaudits, Flower did miss out on overseeing England’s first 4-0 Ashes victory after the umpires called the game off for bad light when they needed 21 runs off 24 balls.
Views on the umpires’ decision have varied wildly, but while Flower did not really blame them, he was critical of the International Cricket Council, whose change to the playing conditions placed such decisions solely in the hands of umpires.
“We have spoken to the ICC a number of times over the years and while I can’t speak for the ECB, the description in the regulations of how they judge bad light I think is poorly written,” Flower said.
“The emphasis is on safety and very rarely is there a safety issue out in the middle.
"In my personal opinion it should be either a very strict reading on the light meter where there is a universal reading they could adhere to, or it should be about the fairness of the balance of the contest between bat and ball.
“I thought it was a very tricky situation last night because it was so close to a conclusion and the responsibility to entertain the people that were in the ground and watching on television has to be taken seriously.
"Did they get it right? Ask them.”
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