NASSER HUSSAIN believes there are not many better options than “serial winner” Andy Flower for the vacant England white-ball head coach role, but has doubts over whether he will get it.
Matthew Mott left the position last week after a mixed two years, guiding England to T20 World Cup success in 2022 before underwhelming displays in the last two major limited-overs tournaments.
The hunt for Mott’s successor is under way after Rob Key, director of England men’s cricket, said a “new direction” was required, with the Champions Trophy in February the next target.
Hussain feels the England and Wales Cricket Board could have the perfect candidate at The Hundred, where Flower, who spent five years in charge of the national team between 2009 and 2014, is leading Trent Rockets.
“There are some really good candidates, there is Kumar Sangakkara, there is Andy Flower, who is a serial winner with England and [in] franchise cricket,” Sky Sports pundit Hussain told the PA news agency.
“Some would view [Flower] as a backward step — ‘never go back, you are going back to a former England coach’ — but I think Andy has moved on.
“Andy was very anti-franchise and IPL, but that was a very long time ago. Now he has travelled the world, winning for most franchises and doing some really good things.
“He is a brilliant coach. You just have to look at his CV and, if Rob Key got Andy Flower’s CV out, there is hardly a better option than that, but again it is if Andy wants to do it.
“And if England see it as a bit of a backward step and they want someone younger, fresher, I don’t know. But I’ll leave those decisions to Rob Key.
“I just look at the best person for the job, simple as that. I’ve worked with Kumar and [he has a] brilliant brain. I’ve played and seen Andy Flower, brilliant player-coach, brilliant man.
“Brendon McCullum, look at the impact he’s had on the Test side, brilliant. They are all very good candidates and I repeat the job is not so much finding the candidate, it is finding the candidate that actually wants to do the job.”
Hussain, who captained England between 1999 and 2003, backed Key’s decision to continue with Buttler as white-ball skipper for now.
But he added: “Jos is a very switched on and smart lad. He’ll know if they continue to lose, he’ll be the next one in line.
“That dynamic of captain-coach, I think that was the issue with Buttler and with Mott.
“With Buttler being such a softly spoken, calm and quiet individual, you probably needed a more dynamic personality [as head coach].
“[Eoin] Morgan worked with [Trevor] Bayliss because Morgan was such an impactful captain and so dynamic.
“I think with this England side, they probably need a more hands-on coach to drive them forward.”
