Telegraph reporting Andy Flower's resigned.

So who now? Candidates for top job

The easy option would be for Downton, who does not officially start until Monday, to appoint Ashley Giles as Flower’s successor. Giles has an early chance to impress in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March but he has had almost as wretched a time of it in Australia as Flower, losing both the one-day international and Twenty20 series.

Their capitulation by eight wickets yesterday with 5.1 of the 20 overs still left at Australia’s disposal was as embarrassing as anything they have suffered all winter.

(...)
There are few obvious candidates for the job from outside. None of those mentioned in the bookmakers’ odds have overwhelming credentials. Gary Kirsten, who has enjoyed huge success with both India and South Africa, resigned last year because he wanted to spend more time with his family. He is not the sort of chap to be lured thousands of miles from his home with the prospect of more world travel simply by a heap of money.

Other names mentioned include another former South Africa coach, Graham Ford, who recently agreed to join Surrey after working with Sri Lanka. Ford was an early mentor of Kevin Pietersen, which may work in his favour but equally may not.

Tom Moody, Dav Whatmore and Mickey Arthur formed a list of usual suspects and the appearance of the former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming in the bookies’ shortlist seemed the wildest of left-field candidates since his coaching has been limited so far to the Indian Premier League.

lardbucket wrote:Michael Vaughan?

lardbucket wrote:Michael Vaughan?

PeterCS wrote:Flem would be an interesting choice.

Is Moody free? I assumed not. But he has a good cricketing brain and approach.

Kirsten: bit of a maestro, but Brenkley's point might well be on the nail.

The best-case scenario, for me, is a wise head on old shoulders, with definite active ideas, who can encourage and energise the best skills without suffering fools. And knows what to delegate effectively, what not to give away. (A Boof, in shorthand.)

With Colly to be given some significant role to give him more experience and test him out, and his effectiveness.

PeterCS wrote:Stephen Brenkley, in The Independent (London), strongly suggests Downton did not push Flower.

He also writes:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/ashley-giles-favourite-as-andy-flower-quits-over-split-role-and-awful-ashes-9100489.html

So who now? Candidates for top job

The easy option would be for Downton, who does not officially start until Monday, to appoint Ashley Giles as Flower’s successor. Giles has an early chance to impress in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March but he has had almost as wretched a time of it in Australia as Flower, losing both the one-day international and Twenty20 series.

Their capitulation by eight wickets yesterday with 5.1 of the 20 overs still left at Australia’s disposal was as embarrassing as anything they have suffered all winter.

(...)
There are few obvious candidates for the job from outside. None of those mentioned in the bookmakers’ odds have overwhelming credentials. Gary Kirsten, who has enjoyed huge success with both India and South Africa, resigned last year because he wanted to spend more time with his family. He is not the sort of chap to be lured thousands of miles from his home with the prospect of more world travel simply by a heap of money.

Other names mentioned include another former South Africa coach, Graham Ford, who recently agreed to join Surrey after working with Sri Lanka. Ford was an early mentor of Kevin Pietersen, which may work in his favour but equally may not.

Tom Moody, Dav Whatmore and Mickey Arthur formed a list of usual suspects and the appearance of the former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming in the bookies’ shortlist seemed the wildest of left-field candidates since his coaching has been limited so far to the Indian Premier League.

PeterCS wrote:Red: You misread what Brenkley wrote, and which I took as a valid point..

He said  exactly the opposite of how you grasped him (and my agreement) - that is, precisely the point you have since restated.

Which I will now repeat in BOLD RED (so it's finally clear! ) >

PeterCS wrote:Stephen Brenkley, in The Independent (London), strongly suggests Downton did not push Flower.

He also writes:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/ashley-giles-favourite-as-andy-flower-quits-over-split-role-and-awful-ashes-9100489.html

So who now? Candidates for top job

The easy option would be for Downton, who does not officially start until Monday, to appoint Ashley Giles as Flower’s successor. Giles has an early chance to impress in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March but he has had almost as wretched a time of it in Australia as Flower, losing both the one-day international and Twenty20 series.

Their capitulation by eight wickets yesterday with 5.1 of the 20 overs still left at Australia’s disposal was as embarrassing as anything they have suffered all winter.

(...)
There are few obvious candidates for the job from outside. None of those mentioned in the bookmakers’ odds have overwhelming credentials. Gary Kirsten, who has enjoyed huge success with both India and South Africa, resigned last year because he wanted to spend more time with his family. He is not the sort of chap to be lured thousands of miles from his home with the prospect of more world travel simply by a heap of money.

Other names mentioned include another former South Africa coach, Graham Ford, who recently agreed to join Surrey after working with Sri Lanka. Ford was an early mentor of Kevin Pietersen, which may work in his favour but equally may not.

Tom Moody, Dav Whatmore and Mickey Arthur formed a list of usual suspects and the appearance of the former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming in the bookies’ shortlist seemed the wildest of left-field candidates since his coaching has been limited so far to the Indian Premier League.

Fred Nerk wrote:If Boof did have only one season with Queensland (and my memory is he was there for a few years), it was one absolutely bloody outstanding one, that had even had the tissues down here in Melbourne recommending him for the Oz job over 12 months ago, at least six months before it was available.

If they don't pick Fleming, they should go for another 'outsider' of his vintage.

lardbucket wrote:so ... is Colly Flower's successor?

Henry wrote:I like what I'm hearing from Colly. The other day, he went as close as he possibly could to saying the ECB made a huge mistake by axing KP. Something like, "Yes, you need your team men...but you also need your match winners". 

Hell, we'd all rather Colly got the main job rather than Giles. I think the role of head coach these days is more about bringing a certain attitude and approach to the side, rather than anything technical. They have an army of ECB qualified coaches to do that. I reckon under Colly England would be enjoying themselves again and playing positive cricket.

"Gilo is the man to lead the England team forward," said Swann, who is working as a pundit for Test Match Special on England's limited-overs tour of West Indies. "He did a cracking job during the Champions Trophy. People seem to have forgotten that and seem to just tally him with the one-day series in Australia.

"He's a very good coach who had a sublime record at Warwickshire. He knows the system. He was brought in by Andy Flower to take over that one-day role and I don't see any reason why he shouldn't carry on.

"Obviously if the ECB decide to look elsewhere, someone might come in and change the whole system. There's always an argument for bringing in experts from outside, but maybe there's not that many people who want it at the minute."