Andy Flower, has reportedly been shortlisted by the BCCI for the job of Team India's coach to fill the void left by the departure of Gary Kirsten after India won the World Cup under him."Andy" Flower is a former international cricketer for Zimbabwe and is currently the England coach.
he is in the race for Dream post of coaching Indian cricket team .Flower had dutifully played his roles to perfection both in front and behind the wicket in his career spanning almost 11 years.Lets know few details about Andy flower and his cricketing carrier.
he is in the race for Dream post of coaching Indian cricket team .Flower had dutifully played his roles to perfection both in front and behind the wicket in his career spanning almost 11 years.Lets know few details about Andy flower and his cricketing carrier.
Andrew or “Andy” Flower was actually born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1968 on 28th April, but his family returned to their native Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) when he was 10 years old. It was obviously known to his father Bill, even at such a young age andy would excel at sports and he spent a lot of time coaching and playing in their garden, which even to this day Andy attributes the time his father spent with him as largely responsible for his excellent technique. With this solid cricketing background, it wasn’t long before he was playing cricket for his school and then for his local sports club, Old Georgians, at the age of 15.Andy’s first-class debut was at the age of 18, playing for the ZCU (Zimbabwe Cricket Union) President’s XI against a very strong Young West Indian touring team. It was to be a rather quiet debut but showing great determination for a slow 13, as he resisted traditional West Indian pace from the likes of Eldine Baptiste.Flower played from his high school days at Vainona High School, Harare, through to most of his career alongside his younger brother Grant Flower.
Flower made his international debut in a One Day International against Sri Lanka at New Plymouth, New Zealand, in the 1992 Cricket World Cup,where he made a debut and century a feat which has only been repeated by three other players in history. He was Zimbabwe's wicket-keeper for more than 10 years and statistically by far the finest batsman the country has fielded. As a player, Flower rose to talisman stature in Zimbabwe's cricket history, a fact substantiated by his prolific batting stats.
- Tests 63, Runs 4,794, Average 51.54, Hundreds 12, Fifties 27, Catches 151, Stumpings 9
- ODIs 213, Runs 6,786, Average 35.34, Hundreds 4, Fifties 55, Catches 141, Stumpings 32Internationals,
- Tests 63, Runs 4,794, Average 51.54, Hundreds 12, Fifties 27, Catches 151, Stumpings 9
- ODIs 213, Runs 6,786, Average 35.34, Hundreds 4, Fifties 55, Catches 141, Stumpings 32Internationals,
He is the only Zimbabwean in the ICC's Top 100 All-time Test Batting rankings at Number 28, putting him in the company of Brian Lara (ranked 19), Sachin Tendulkar (20), Steve Waugh (23) and Rahul Dravid (25 in spetember 2006)
Nearing the end of his career, Flower achieved international recognition ,along with team mate Henry
Olonga in 2003 by wearing a black armband in a Cricket World Cup match to protest against the policies of Zimbabwe's government, led by Robert Mugabe. This led to both players having to flee Zimbabwe under the cover of darkness for fear of retribution. He and Olonga released a statement on 10 February, stating in part.This act also led to pressure from Zimbabwe's government and Flower's retirement from Zimbabwean cricket. Andy announced his retirement from international cricket where he started it, at the World Cup. Andy ended his playing spell at contu cricket due to injury, bringing his playing career to a close.
At the age of 38 and the start of the 2007 season he was offered the position as England’s assistant coach On 15 April 2009, following England's Caribbean tour, for which he was installed as interim team director following the departure of Peter Moores, he was appointed full-time team director.Flower’s calm but authoritative response impressed many and his standing improved throughout the tenure. He has confronted many challenges in his career, but coaching England will surely rival any of them. In the Summer of 2009, during his tenure as team director, England won The Ashes, beating Australia by two Test matches to one. In May 2010, they won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies. In November–January 2010/2011 England won the Ashes in Australia three Test matches to one.Although England had a lacklustre World Cup campaign under Flower, his coaching record and low-profile approach make him appear as a good choice to follow in the footsteps of Kirsten.
Lets hope for the best for both Andy and Indian Cricket Team
