"The outstanding candidate to replace Matthew Mott" - Michael Atherton feels Andy Flower could replace Matthew Mott as England coach
Former England captain Michael Atherton believes Andy Flower could once again step into the role of coaching England and be successful in it. Matthew Mott has resigned from his position as the white-ball coach for England and Atherton feels Flower is the perfect fit.
The former Zimbabwe cricketer has coached England in the past and taken them to the summit of the ICC Test rankings. He also won them their maiden T20 World Cup title in 2010.
In his column for The Times, here's what Michael Atherton had to write about Andy Flower being the potential England white-ball coach:
"He is undoubtedly the outstanding candidate to replace Matthew Mott. He transformed Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League; has won the Abu Dhabi T10; he took a St Lucia side to the final of the Caribbean Premier League for the first time; and won the Hundred with Trent Rockets."
While the demands of franchise cricket are different from those of international cricket, Atherton feels the demand for success is similar and Andy Flower has succeeded in delivering under pressure as a coach in franchise cricket.
Michael Atherton on IPL coaching being an obstacle for Andy Flower
Michael Atherton is aware of the fact that Andy Flower is the head coach of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL and that he would be occupied with coaching during that window. However, he believes there's a way for Flower to do both jobs effectively.
On this, he stated:
"Why would doing both be necessarily ruled out? There is no international cricket during the IPL window and coaching in the IPL can only be of benefit, keeping an eye on trends and players as they emerge. A degree of flexibility seems the likeliest way of securing a top-notch coach."
Atherton also understands the issues England players had in the past with Flower's intensity and coaching style. However, he feels that with time and experience, Flower seems to have mellowed down and has gotten better at man-management.