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LONDON. — Andy Flower has been sacked as England cricket coach following the disastrous tour of Australia, according to Sky Sources. Flower was reportedly called to a meeting at Lord’s on Thursday and told he would not be continuing in the job following the humiliating Ashes whitewash, although there is not expected to be an official announcement until England return from Australia next week.
According to the Telegraph, former Zimbabwe international Flower was told his time was up during a meeting at Lord’s on Thursday with Paul Downton, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s new managing director, who had been conducting a review into a tour of Australia where England suffered a 5-0 Ashes thrashing.
However, he is believed to be staying at the ECB, but will work in a different role at the Performance Centre at Loughborough.
Flower took over from Peter Moores as England coach in 2009 and steered the Test team through a highly successful period, winning three Ashes series as England moved to the top of the world Test rankings.
He also led them to the World T20 title, before relinquishing control of the limited-overs teams to Ashley Giles in November 2012.
But it has not always been plain sailing for the former Zimbabwe captain, who was forced to deny reports he issued an ultimatum to the ECB over the future involvement of Kevin Pietersen with the England team following the Ashes debacle. Pietersen and Flower fell out during the series defeat to South Africa in 2012, when the England batsman was dropped because of text messages he sent to the tourists during the series.
Pietersen was subsequently reintegrated into the team under Alastair Cook’s captaincy and played a critical role in England’s brilliant series win in India in 2012, hitting 186 in a 206-run stand with Cook during the ten-wicket win in the second Test in Mumbai.
But reports of more dressing-room unrest following the Ashes defeat led to many expecting only one of Flower or Pietersen to be part of the England setup for the first test against Sri Lanka this June – and Flower will not be there.
Flower has been England’s head coach since 2009, overseeing three Ashes series victories and guiding England to the 2010 World Twenty20 title – the first time they had won a major international limited overs event.
England beat Australia 3-0 in a home Ashes last year but were thrashed just months later in the return series. Flower has pulled back from the daily running of England’s one-day cricket, ceding this responsibility to former Test spinner Ashley Giles.— Sky Sports.
Online Reporter