That England deserved to win the World T20 Thingy is beyond doubt.
India can’t get their excuses right, South Africa’s retirement squad struggled, Sri Lanka had no form, West Indies waited for Gayle, Sri Lanka waited for Mahela, New Zealand under performed even for them and Australia were out played.
England was organised, worked hard, had no passengers, they got away with Wright at six and they played very sensible cricket when chasing targets.
That England did all this is the most surprising.
I saw them play in Stanford’s game under KP. That was less than 2 years ago.
I saw them lose to Holland. That was less than a year ago.
And I saw Abdul Razzaq smash them all around the ground this year. This year.
But Flower is some coach. England has no champions in any of their teams, they have class players, role players and people who should be cut looses, yet since he took over they keep getting better.
They have the Ashes, managed to draw with South Africa in South Africa, got to the semi finals of the Champion’s trophy and now have won the world T20 thingy. They fight hard to win, and even harder to draw. When looking at the stats and the end of series you can never understand how they won, but they do what is necessary.
They are a depressingly well drilled unit, everyone just does their job, no one steals the limelight (since Freddie left), and if one player is down it seems that more often than not there will be 9 or 10 others that will cover them all.
Good coaches leave impressions on their sides. This team is the embodiment of Andy Flower right now.
Hardworking, mentally tough, compact, efficient, strong and better than you expect.
Flower is now the best coach in world cricket, and his team is now a genuine contender rather than the punchline they were before.
It is not hard to respect the man, he played in a cricket team who would have struggled to beat grade cricket sides if it were not for his stubbornness, he did his best to recruit overseas players to Zimbabwe just so they side had a spine and he then stood up to a dictator.
Flower did also play for South Australia, but no one is perfect.
While KP was man of the series and Kieswetter man of the final, Flower is the man of English cricket right now. English cricket might not have been the sleeping giant that Indian cricket was, but it was a large lumbering idiot walking around and drooling on itself.
Flower saved it from itself; he was the Leon to its Matilda. A fatherly figure from a different land who does things his own way but knows how to teach the skills he learnt. Although that makes England Natalie Portman, but in this tournament they probably deserved to be.
I never thought England would earn a Natalie Portman from me for a performance in a white ball tournament, but andy Flower probably never thought he’d be compared to Jean Reno.
Leon!! it was more like Nanny Mc Phee/Dr. Seus if u get wat i’m saying.
.-= Mock Wah´s last blog ..Captain Cool on Fire =-.
aw shit. we used to be like that
.-= Gagger´s last blog ..Super 14 Tipping Comp – Minor Premiers =-.
Flower deserves all the credit he gets. Who else would have picked Mike Yardy for his bowling?
The change in the team since he took over has been incredible. He inherited a side who’s star player was destroying dressing room harmony with his ego, who’s other best player had just been sacked as captain by the cast of the Muppet Show, and who thought that Ian Bell is a test no. 3.
They were about to be bowled out for 51 and lose to Holland, yet within months he had reversed the whole culture and mentality of the team.
He’s even made England good in limited overs cricket. His next job should be something more straightforward, like building a ladder to the moon.
.-= GoodCricketWicket´s last blog ..England’s Twenty20 Flowering =-.
he was born in south africa too – that’s another thing the saffas had but lost.
.-= Dibyo´s last blog ..There’s a strange relationship… =-.
NO offense to Zimbabwean
Flower was unfortunate to play for Zim. whose administrators were ugly mofo .. Zim. lost many talented individual just because of those fuckers … it was horrible
I have Full respect of Andy Flower, he is my favorite. He was sometimes “Unbowlable” batsman especially against India, Zak. had few good moment against him though.
“While KP was man of the series and Kieswetter man of the final, Flower is the man of English cricket right now. English cricket might not have been the sleeping giant that Indian cricket was, but it was a large lumbering idiot walking around and drooling on itself.”
that seals the glory
btw. never ever give out Natalie …. never.
uncle, you dont like me.
THIS IS THE CADILLAC i was wanted you in back of.
Uncle Jrod is back.
Back in Black
Number one with a bullet, I’m a power pack
This is good as porn
.-= Konspirasy´s last blog ..Short of titles =-.
i remember his last season for the redbacks. we were shit then too.
Is it just a coincidence that the English Captain Paul Collingwood plays Cricket almost the same way Flower played? This English team of sincere contributors has ‘Flowered’ under Andy with Paul to lead and KP to give them the edge !
Jamie Siddons is the best coach in world cricket.
.-= Zyon´s last blog ..Final thoughts on the World T20 =-.
Zyon, Siddons is the coolest and most likely to win a bar fight. Not the best.
Sunny, you were then, but the side is coming together, although not sure Blizzard is a great signing.
Spot on JRod. And to think that if KP hadn’t thrown his toys out of the pram, peter Moores still might be England coach.
Everyone goes on about how great Adam Gilchrist was. And to some extent they are right. But Andy Flower was just as impressive in a poor side whereas Gilchrist shone in a champion side that was one of the three best ever (along with the 1948 Australians and the West Indies side of the 80′s).
England must make sure that they tie Flower down to a long -term contract. If they do, England could well emerge as the top side in test cricket over the next few years.
.-= The Reverse Sweep´s last blog ..Robert Key fills up the telly =-.
“but it was a large lumbering idiot walking around and drooling on itself.”
haha that is funny.