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LONDON. — Former England captain Andrew Strauss believes Zimbabwean Andy Flower still has a huge amount to offer English cricket. Strauss was the skipper and Flower the coach when they led England to being the No. 1 Test side in the world in 2010/11, a year which also saw them winning the Ashes in Australia.

However, Flower’s 12-year association with English cricket, where also worked with the England Lions, was ended last month by the ECB, much to the dismay of Strauss.

Strauss told the PA news agency: “Andy was by far the best coach I ever worked with, a great man and had incredible success with the England cricket team.

“We certainly haven’t seen the end of Andy Flower yet. I would not be at all surprised if we saw him in a high-profile coaching role again.

“Maybe not with the ECB, but in the English game somewhere. I sincerely hope he stays involved in English cricket, rather than going abroad somewhere.”

Strauss, who previously held the role of ECB director of cricket, recently accepted a role as chair of the ECB cricket committee.
It will run alongside his work for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, which was set up in memory of his late wife to fund research into rare forms of lung cancer and to support patients and families affected by the disease.

“It’s me dipping my toe back into the game of cricket,” he explained.
“The ECB cricket committee has a very broad reach overseeing professional cricket in the country, but also women’s cricket and disability cricket and the pathway to the top.

“It keeps me engaged and cricket is in my blood so I want to be involved in some way, but it’s about juggling it with the foundation.

“Even more importantly it’s juggling it with my boys and making sure I am around to do what they need me to do.” — AFP.