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Andy Flower: Zimbabwean has played key role in England's rise

Image: Flower: an inspiring figure, says Bob

The appointment of Ashley Giles as one-day coach highlighted how keen England were to retain the services of team director Andy Flower.

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Flower and Morris have played key roles, then, and so did Kevin Pietersen at the Oval on Sunday as England tried to chase down the 227 Australia set them to win an Ashes series 4-0 for the first time. Pietersen is England's best player by a mile and that sort of situation, when he is centre stage and everyone is looking to him to increase the scoring rate, is where he wants to be and the perfect place for him. Kevin has said that he wants to play in the 2015 World Cup and England would be loath to lose his talents in the near future having fully re-integrated him back into the side after the text message saga of last summer. The demeanour of the other players in the dressing room, coupled with what they have said about Pietersen, shows his transgressions have been forgotten and huge credit must go to Cook for accelerating Kevin's return to the line-up. I felt Cook was outmanoeuvred in terms of field placings by opposite number Michael Clarke this summer - the Australia captain was more effective at blocking off opposing batsmen's scoring areas, particularly those of Cook, Joe Root, and Jonathan Trott. But at the crunch times when Alastair had to decide which bowlers should bowl in which situations, he got that right more often than not, despite a couple annoying last-wicket stands from the Australians. Still, he will want Flower helping him for a little while yet.

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