Matthew Pott announced his resignation as England’s head coach of white-ball cricket after two consecutively unsuccessful World Cup campaigns for both the ODI and T20 formats. Since then, several names have been proposed;
Michael Atherton, a former cricket player, is the most recent. Since England won the 2010 T20 World Cup and rose to the top of the Test rankings under Andy Flower’s leadership, the 56-year-old feels that his reappointment can usher in the golden era.
Despite the players’ success, Flower and the ECB distanced themselves from one other since many of them disliked the harsh and demanding training sessions that Flower oversaw.
Michael Atherton, nevertheless, believes that the former cricket player has matured and cited his accomplishments with the Multan Sultans in the CPL, the Abu Dhabi T10 League, the Pakistan Super League, and The Hundred. He feels that Flower can help England because of his vast expertise and widened perspective.
“Flower won the Abu Dhabi T10, led St Lucia to their first CPL final, won the Hundred with Trent Rockets, and transformed Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League.” These victories show Flower’s versatility and adaptability to a variety of competitive settings—qualities essential to the white-ball job, according to Atherton’s Times essay.
The flower has also changed. It is reported that he has softened a little, perhaps because he is older or because player power dynamics have changed. He continued, “His broad experience in a variety of coaching roles has broadened his approach, potentially making him more successful and adaptive.
In the IPL, the former Zimbabwean cricket player is also the coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Atherton pointed out that international cricket is sometimes suspended during the lucrative competition, and Flower is free to coach in India if he so chooses, since it will enable him to become familiar with the latest T20 cricket trends.
Also Read: ‘Dravid, Ponting, Fleming, and McCullum’ – Eoin Morgan suggests four candidates to coach white-ball for England.
Foreign employment is less in demand than it formerly was, and Flower’s IPL commitment may cause friction. Nevertheless, Flower’s participation in the IPL can help him stay aware of new players and trends, which will enhance his job with England, as there is no international cricket during the IPL window, Atherton said.
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