Defiant Flower staying on as England coach

Sport360 staff 13:27 06/01/2014
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  • Here to stay: Flower will remain in charge.

    Andy Flower is, unequivocally, staying on as England's Test match coach and team director.

    The man himself gave that direct assurance in an occasionally prickly press conference, as he comes to terms with England's embarrassing 5-0 Ashes whitewash.

    Returning to the scene of a 281-run defeat in the final Test, less than 24 hours earlier at the SCG, Flower committed himself too to being part of the process to try to get his team back to winning ways.

    Previously, following last week's eight-wicket defeat in Melbourne and also in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's trouncing, he confirmed his plans to continue in his current role.

    This time, he went further – stressing not merely an intention, but a fact.

    Asked if he will remain as team director, he said: "Yes."

    Prompted for a slightly fuller response, he added: "You asked for a clear answer. I think 'yes' is a pretty clear answer." 

    England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier made it equally clear two days ago that Flower's employers retain faith in his abilities.

    Collier added that the ECB will entrust Flower with the task of trying to revive the Test team's fortunes up to and including the next Ashes series, in England in 2015.

    Flower said: "Of course, it's good to have their support, and we all have a responsibility to get our heads together and learn from the mistakes we've made and get things moving in the right direction."

    To achieve that, he acknowledges a long road ahead – and that some changes will have to be made.

    "We're not proud of this result, of course," Flower said.

    "It's quite a bitter pill to swallow, but that's what it is, and we have to face up to that reality that we've been totally outplayed.

    "We must give credit to the way the Australians have played the game.

    "They've been aggressive and disciplined…and we have some thinking to do and some decisions to make."

    Flower spoke similarly after England went 4-0 down in Melbourne, and added here that nothing which has happened in Sydney has altered his opinions.

    "I wouldn't say between Melbourne and now my thoughts have changed significantly," he said.

    "We've got to review what's happened on this tour – obviously, we've made mistakes.

    "We've got a lot of development to do, and the sooner we can get started on that the better."

    While Flower and new ECB managing director Paul Downton can continue their series of meetings to try to identify the right way forward, there is no time for several of Alastair Cook's Ashes losers to dwell on their whitewash.

    The first of a five one-day internationals, swiftly followed by three Twenty20s, gets under way in Melbourne on Sunday – with Ashley Giles in situ as limited-overs coach.

    "The one-day side has got a significant challenge, just round the corner," said Flower.

    "Alastair Cook and Ashley Giles need to turn this ship around – and obviously, with the opposition growing in confidence, that'll be a tough ask.

    "But I think that the one-day side will have to meet that challenge head on."

    One man who will have to face up to that challenge is Chris Woakes, after England added the Warwickshire all-rounder to their one-day squad on Monday.

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