Former England head coach expresses his happiness in the franchise cricket and will remain with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and London Spirit.
England head coach Andy Flower, who had been looking at the potential job of coaching the Test team, has declined to be considered for the role, despite having been in talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the position.
Flower, who was considered one of the top contenders to replace Brendon McCullum, has opted to continue playing franchise cricket as he is currently coaching Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and London Spirit in The Hundred.
Flower confirms decision after ECB discussions
Flower opened the door to speculation ahead of the start of the new season of The Hundred, saying he’d met with England men’s head coach Rob Key and the rest of the ECB officials about the coaching job.
But the ex-England coach had already told the board he wouldn’t be seeking the job, he said.
Flower said he has no desire to coach at the international level at this time and nor is he happy with the current coaching opportunities he has.
Job-sharing proposal ruled out
It had been suggested by the ECB that Flower should take on the coaching position for the England Tests as well as his role at RCB.
He would have been able to play in the IPL and lead the England red-ball team.
That was the idea that Flower rejected, however, claiming that the overlap of England’s England Summer with the IPL would not allow him to do so.
He said an England Test coach could not be at the players’ disposal all year round and involved in the preparations of England during the domestic season, which may be tough if they took on IPL commitments.
Successful history with England
Previously, Flower was the head coach of England from 2009-2014, during one of the nation’s best periods in Test cricket.
Under his leadership, England have won three Ashes series, beaten a very strong Indian Test team and have been the top of the ICC Test rankings.
With the national team, he has also had a stellar career in franchise cricket, making him a strong contender for the position.
Franchise cricket remains his priority
Flower has established an excellent reputation since leaving the England set-up as one of the most successful coaches in the T20 franchise cricket.
He is currently the head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and recently became the coach of London Spirit for upcoming edition of The Hundred.
Flower stated that he likes both organizations and has found the environment and coaching structure he has established in the last few years to be comfortable for him.
He further said that ‘I don’t think it’s something I’m thinking about at the moment’ to return to international cricket.
ECB continues search for new Test coach
The ECB will now have to keep searching for a new leader as Flower has thrown in the towel, with the Test series against Pakistan next month against England soon underway.
If an appointment is not found in time, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick may be tasked on an interim basis, if the report is correct.
The ECB, however, is optimistic that they will be able to hire a full-time coach before the series begins.
Fleming and Langer among leading candidates
Since Flower’s move, the focus has turned to a number of coaches who have experience and are currently in the race.
It is believed former Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has emerged as one of the favorites since he recently withdraw with the IPL side.
Former Australia coach, Justin Langer, and Jonathan Trott, Mike Hesson, Tom Moody, Richard Dawson and Kumar Sangakkara are also being considered for the prestigious job.
Recently, Fleming has said he would think about it if he was asked, and that the speculation was a compliment.
Flower focused on London Spirit challenge
After speculations about his future have been taken care of, Flower has now got his full focus on getting London Spirit ready for the next season of The Hundred.
He expressed his joy in having his decision clarified and that he is looking forward to the challenge. He has admitted that he was happy to be backed up by those who wanted him to come back into the England squad but thinks the right option is to continue in franchise cricket for him and his current teams.
England have been looking for a new Test coach and Andy Flower has confirmed that his next steps are likely to be with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and London Spirit, putting an end to speculation about a return to the national side.
