Flower, 40, whose appointment had been widely expected after an
impressive spell as acting head coach following Peter Moores’ sacking
in January, was named ahead of 30 other applicants for the job who
included current South African coach Mickey Arthur.
A former world number one batsman, who joined the England team backroom
as an assistant coach, Flower took charge of the national team during
its winter tour to the West Indies, where the side impressively bounced
back from a 1-0 Test series loss to win the one-day series.
Flower’s first Test in charge begins on 6 May against the West Indies.
"As a player, Andy was ranked number one in the world and the ECB
believes he has the drive and ambition to be just as successful in his
new post," HCB managing director Hugh Morris told reporters at Lords
where Flower's appointment was announced.
Accepting the appointment, Flower said he felt honoured and promised to work hard and improve the English game.
In taking up the England job Flower, who said he had been rather
reluctant to throw in his name in the hat for the post, follows in the
footsteps of another Zimbabwean cricketer, Duncan Fletcher, who spend
years in charge of England.
Born in born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1968, Flower moved to
Zimbabwe with his parents at a tender age and started his cricket
career at St George’s College in
Harare.
He was greatly praised by some and heavily denounced by others after he
and team mate Henry Olonga, who now lives in the UK, wore black
armbands during World Cup matches in 2003, in a symbolic gesture of
mourning the death of democracy in Zimbabwe.
Critics accused the cricketers of dragging the game into the murky
world of politics while supporters of the two players hailed them for
standing up to tyranny.
Soon Flower and Olonga had to live Zimbabwe unsure about their safety
and future in the country amid a crackdown by President Robert Mugabe's
government against opponents and all voices of dissension.
BY GESHOM NYATHI
Post published in: Cricket