England v Australia: Ashley Giles has chance to show he can succeed Andy Flower

Speculation that Andy Flower’s tenure as England’s team director may draw to a close after the next Ashes series has brought Giles, England’s one-day coach, into focus.

As a result of Flower’s policies of rest and rotation, Giles has not been able to work with a full-strength one-day side since his ascension to the one-day role at the start or the year, a position he finds himself in again.

A sensitive player, Giles has matured into sterner stuff. Those who have seen him evolve from England cricketer to Warwickshire’s team director to his current coaching role speak of a man who is strong-minded with clear ideas.

The unfamiliarity within this squad will have blurred some of that lucidity and judging from their recent match against Ireland in Dublin, England looked a proper bowler short, a curious decision now there is once more a new ball at each end.

Australia’s attack, by contrast, looks strong in most departments with only the spin of Fawad Ahmed untested at this level.

Giles’s challenge for the opening NatWest match against Australia, at Headingley, is where to bat Kevin Pietersen.

On Thursday, Eoin Morgan, England’s captain in the absence of the resting Alastair Cook, said they would consider Pietersen’s previous role as an opener but also his current one in the middle order.

If Friday’s side is one that looks forward to the next World Cup, then a middle-order role for Pietersen is unlikely, what with Joe Root, Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler occupying four to seven.

That leaves No 3, usually the domain of Jonathan Trott, or one of the opening spots, which neither Michael Carberry nor Luke Wright was able to lay claim to in Dublin.

Pietersen last opened against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates 18 months ago, when he made successive hundreds, but forfeited his position when he retired from one-day cricket two months later. As a result the job fell to Cook and Ian Bell, the pair opening for the last 27 ODIs before both were rested for in Dublin.

On Thursday, in the nets, Pietersen slogged away with the air of someone not really fussed about his intended role (he averages 58.8 as opener but 116 at No?5), though he did something similar before the Test here against South Africa last year, and played one of the great innings.

England handed out three new caps in Dublin but only two of them, Carberry and Boyd Rankin, are likely to play here, though Steven Finn has not been threatening to take many wickets with the new ball, the prime reason for his inclusion, which gives Chris Jordan or Jamie Overton an outside chance.

Whoever plays, Giles will tell them what is expected of them in a calm but incisive way. A good communicator, one habit he has been advised to drop is his jotting down of notes, Rafael Benítez style, every time an error is made. If it makes experienced players anxious, as the TV director zooms in on him scribbling frantically, it could play havoc among the youngsters, especially if Aaron Finch starts teeing off as he did in the T20 match at the Ageas Bowl when he struck 156 off 63 balls.

How Giles and his team handle themselves during this series is unlikely to have that much bearing on the next World Cup in 18 months time, but it could be germane if Flower does decide to go after the next Ashes series. Then, when the pros and cons of his successors are assessed, this series, especially if Giles can turn the raw ingredients he has been handed into gold, could count double in his favour.

View the original article here

England team director Andy Flower deserves far better after Ashes series victory

But apparently England have possessed a negativity and, according to some, an arrogance that has irked. That charge of arrogance has been mainly made by Australians, which is side-splittingly funny in itself. One only had to listen to debutant James Faulkner upbraiding England’s first-innings batting at the Oval to confirm that.

England and Flower were not being arrogant in selecting Kerrigan and Woakes. Yes, the results of that selection were disappointing, but the rationale was hardly ridiculous.

They thought the pitch would spin like a top. They had summoned Kerrigan in case of that eventuality, with Woakes to accompany him, because a four-man attack, including a debutant, would have been too risky.

It might also be worth pointing out that Kerrigan actually has a better first-class bowling average, albeit in a much shorter career, than both Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar.

But a farce it was, apparently, and the subsequent condemnation merely continued a year of frustration with Flower and his team: from not enforcing the follow-on against New Zealand to accusations of a ban on Ashes talk, to outrages against the spirit of the game, to more negative cricket and interviews perceived as anodyne from all concerned, to finally the story that players had urinated on the Oval pitch during the Ashes celebrations.

There is little doubt that Flower’s relationship with the media has deteriorated significantly.

He is clearly wearied by the constant criticisms, often appearing prickly and increasingly reserved and, in turn, there are gripes about his accessibility and that of senior players.

I should stress that I have not heard or read one person calling for Flower’s head - although I reckon a few would have done so had he made comments anything like those delivered on radio by Australia coach Darren Lehmann about Broad.

They were simply disgraceful, but instead of the jovial Lehmann the Australian media has fixed it sights squarely on Flower, with the likes of arch Pom-baiter Malcolm Conn talking of his “command bunker mentality” and his players’ interviews being “as colourful as a concrete driveway”. It was little surprise that it was Conn who broke ‘Splashgate’.

Yes, that behaviour was poor but it was hardly a heinous crime. When England went to Australia in 2010-11, the local media were like pussycats, resigned to defeat from the outset. They have clearly decided to rectify that during these two Ashes series.

I spoke to Flower last week. It was an off-the-record chat between old mates, and he obviously would not reveal any thoughts about his future (“you are still a journo” he always says), but I do not think he will mind my revealing that what was striking were the similarities between him and Duncan Fletcher in his later days as England coach.

The Zimbabwean accent was the same but so, too, was the mood. What is remarkable is that Fletcher had just endured a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2007; Flower has just won 3-0. These truly are curious times.

The speculation about Flower’s future began during the Oval Test when it was first mentioned, buried deep, in an article on the Cricinfo website. Then there was a story in the Sunday People that Flower will stand down after this winter’s Ashes.

I think there is some truth in these stories. I do not know for certain, but it would be no huge surprise should he go after this winter’s Ashes.

However, the suggestion that his employers at the England and Wales Cricket Board feel “he has run his course” and want to move him on is frankly preposterous.

Flower will go of his own accord. In my 2012 book The Plan, about the transformation of English cricket overseen by Flower and Fletcher, I wrote that I could not see Flower lasting more than two years in his position. That was before his job-share with Giles, who will certainly replace him full-time in due course.

Back-to-back Ashes means that leading the Test team is a stressful and time-consuming job. And this summer has been especially traumatic with a relative of Flower’s suffering a stroke while on holiday.

Flower travelled abroad between the second and third Tests to help. Thankfully, a good recovery is being made.

Hugh Morris’s resignation has not affected Flower’s thoughts - Morris only told him during the Oval Test – although Flower will doubtless assess the identity of Morris’ successor, for whom the England and Wales Cricket Board is already searching, before making a final decision.

And we can rule out Flower replacing Morris. That will not happen. It is a job Flower could do, of course, but he would probably need some breathing space away first.

England will struggle mightily to find a better man than Flower, but, if this is to be his last series this winter, then maybe we should cherish him a little more.

The importance of the peripherals is being exaggerated. Flower has created a winning culture, and it is not anywhere near as blinkered and unfeeling as some suggest.

How about we enjoy what is still a golden era for English cricket?

View the original article here

Andy Flower coy about his long-term future with England ahead of Ashes series in Australia later this year

“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.”

View the original article here

Ashes 2013: England coach Andy Flower 'to quit after winter series in Australia'

Flower is due to give a press conference when the present series ends at the Kia Oval later today, when he will be asked about a claim in a Sunday newspaper that he will be replaced by England 20-and-50-over coach Ashley Giles.

The report in the Sunday People said Flower has agreed with the England and Wales Cricket Board that he will step down after the series in Australia, when he will be trying to oversee a fourth Ashes victory since becoming England head coach in April 2009.

The speculation over his future comes even though England need only to lose fewer than 16 wickets today to equal their best result in an Ashes series at home.

Moreover, when England won 3-0 in 1977, Australian cricket was in a state of serious schism because half of their team had signed for the World Series and the other half had not, while in 1886 Australian cricket had no national governing body to organise and select their team.

This series is not quite over yet, however, because a minimum of 98 overs are scheduled for the final day, and the very prospect of going down as the equal-biggest losers in their history will spur Michael Clarke's Australia to produce one last effort.

Australia first have to prevent England scoring 46 more runs to reach their follow-on target of 293. After the pitch has been under cover for two nights and yesterday's washout, Australia's pace bowlers are likely to find it a suitable morning for swing and seam, so Ian Bell's job is not yet completed even though he is averaging 75.

The rest of England's batting consists of two debutants in Chris Woakes and Simon Kerrigan, a wicketkeeper who has scored 86 runs in this series, and the two older heads of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann. As the self-styled engine room of this England side, Matt Prior, Broad and Swann need to rev up this morning for England to finish on a high note.

After conceding 30 in his first five overs, Woakes has settled in as the game has gone on. Kerrigan's chance of redemption lies in England saving the follow-on handsomely, then Australia batting out the last few overs without anything left to play for, when he would have the chance of a rehabilitating bowl.

Even so, England's selection here has been proved wrong: the intention, without question, was to pick the 11 best equipped in the selectors' opinion to win this match, but the consequence was to throw an added weight on to the shoulders of James Anderson, just as the selection of Steve Finn ahead of Tim Bresnan did in the opening Test at Trent Bridge, Bresnan's most successful ground.

If England only just save the follow-on, Clarke would still have one last dice to throw in his attempt to avoid doing down in Australian history alongside Greg Chappell and Hugh Scott, his two unillustrious predecessors.

Ten to 20 overs of hitting by David Warner and Shane Watson would then give Clarke enough runs to set a declaration, and the best part of two sessions to bowl England out a second time. Anderson and Broad would slow England's overrate down, but not so much as to risk a penalty for their captain, Alastair Cook.

However low that declaration target is, England will not be keen to embark on a run chase. But having been criticised widely for their defensiveness in this match - Australia's debutant James Faulkner suggested last night that spectators on Friday should be given their money back - there could come a point when England would feel embarrassed not to chase: if Clarke sets 200 in 60 overs, for example, they might feel obliged to have a go.

Yet the luck in this series is forecast to favour England until the very last as showers are predicted. The pattern has been astonishingly consistent: when England have won the toss and batted first, they have won, but when Australia have won the toss and piled up a big total, rain has helped England to draw.

If England do avoid defeat today, they will go second in the ICC Test rankings; Australia will go fifth, whatever today's result.

View the original article here

Ashes 2013: Andy Flower refuses to rule out stepping down as Hugh Morris quits

The sport in this country is already about to undergo a major upheaval as Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, is poised to leave his position to take up a role at his former county, Glamorgan, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

It will be a significant blow for the England team as Morris has overseen three successive Ashes triumphs since his appointment as a result of the Schofield Report that followed the 5-0 Ashes debacle in Australia in 2006-07.

It is clear Flower will decide his own future and he refused to look even as far as the next series when asked if he was on the verge of ending his five-year tenure.

Newspaper reports have suggested he will stand down after the fifth Test in Sydney in January and on Sunday he was asked if the draw at the Oval could in fact be his final game in charge. “We’ve got to enjoy the moment and don’t look too far ahead. We have to really enjoy this evening,” he replied.

During Sunday’s final day of the series, England and Wales Cricket Board insiders were dismissing reports that Flower is planning to go but the vacancy created by Morris’s resignation could change the situation as the pair have worked closely together to build England into an Ashes winning team and a side that reached No1 in the Test rankings.

Flower is contracted until after the 2015 World Cup and is a man of his word so it would take a major reason for him to contemplate an early departure should the speculation be true. A natural time for Flower to depart would be at the end of next summer after the five-match Test series against India. After that England do not play Test cricket again for nearly 10 months as they concentrate on one-day cricket and the 50-over World Cup in Australia.

Flower will be linked to Morris’ role but whether he would want to give up the coaching role he enjoys is unclear. Flower would be a wanted man in the Indian Premier League and county cricket, both avenues for lucrative coaching roles.

Morris, a former Glamorgan and England batsman, has been the often-silent strategist behind England’s recent successes, which also included a first Test series victory in India for 28 years. He has professionalised the whole England set-up, carefully selecting well-qualified backroom staff and even at one stage using the revolutionary strategy of employing three captains (Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad) for three different formats.

He was also a calm diplomat when the Mumbai atrocities occurred during England’s one-day tour of India in 2008, with the team returning home before returning for two Tests. He also dealt swiftly with the Kevin Pietersen/Peter Moores imbroglio that followed that tour, appointing the hugely successful combination of Strauss and Andy Flower as captain and coach thereafter.

Morris has also overseen huge advances in the women’s game, with the national team winning both the World Cup and World Twenty20 in 2009.

The decision will be a surprise to all concerned at the England & Wales Cricket Board, where Morris has worked since 1997, when he retired from playing immediately following Glamorgan’s winning of the county championship.

But as he showed there by retiring at just 33, with many years of batting left in him, Morris likes to leave at the top, and he clearly feels that the England team has achieved everything he set out to achieve at the beginning of his tenure.

At the ECB, as well as being managing director, Morris has been technical director, performance director, deputy chief executive and briefly chief executive following the departure of Tim Lamb in 2004.

As performance director Morris set up the hugely successful National Academy at Loughborough, which was opened in 2003, as well implementing the England Performance and Development Programmes that are so important in the production line of England cricketers.

Glamorgan said on Sunday that Alan Hamer had resigned from his role as chief executive. Morris is likely to take up a position at Glamorgan encompassing both chief executive and director of cricket, and there he will face a huge challenge, with the county in considerable debt and success on the field having been virtually non-existent since they last won a trophy in 2004.

England’s search for a replacement for Morris will not be easy, with former Test cricketers possessing an MBA, as Morris does, thin on the ground, but former captain Strauss and Flower will doubtless be strong early candidates.

View the original article here