7:10am Wednesday 14th January 2009
By Ian Oxborrow
Essex first team coach Paul Grayson has given his backing to former team-mate Andy Flower to take charge of the England team on a full-time basis.
And Grayson revealed to the Gazette he would be interested in the chance of coaching England in the future.
Flower will assist skipper Andrew Strauss with the coaching for England’s forthcoming tour of the Caribbean after the major fall out between captain Kevin Pietersen and head coach Peter Moores, which saw them both depart.
And Flower, who assisted Moores as batting coach, is the right man for the job, according to Grayson, who himself played international cricket for England.
Grayson said: “If the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) are just looking for someone in the short term Andy is ideal and he can do it in the long term as well.
“If they have a good series in the Caribbean he will be in with a chance of being in charge for the Ashes in the summer.
“I think he would like to do it. When he left Essex we all thought he might go into coaching in county cricket, either with Essex or another county, but he joined up with Peter Moores and England.
“We all know what has gone on with Peter Moores and Kevin Pietersen and I’m sure Andy is the right choice.
“He knows the England players very well and knows a lot about the game.”
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