Andy Flower 'axed as England cricket coach'

Andy Flower has been axed as England coach following the team's recent Ashes drubbing in Australia, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Friday. According to the Telegraph, former Zimbabwe international Flower was told his time was up during a meeting at Lord's on Thursday with Paul Downton, the England and Wales Cricket Board's new managing director, who had been conducting a review into a tour of Australia where England suffered a 5-0 Ashes thrashing. The Telegraph added there would be a formal announcement by the ECB later Friday that Flower was "stepping down" having effectively been given no choice but to quit. Flower has been England's head coach since 2009, overseeing three Ashes series victories and guiding England to the 2010 World Twenty20 title -- the first time they had won a major international limited overs event. England beat Australia 3-0 in a home Ashes last year but were thrashed just months later in the return series. Flower has pulled back from the daily running of England's one-day cricket, ceding this responsiblity to former Test spinner Ashley Giles. But the losses have kept coming in Australia, a a 4-1 one-day series reverse followed by Wednesday's 13-run defeat in the first Twenty20 in Hobart and an eight-wicket loss in the second T20 in Melbourne on Friday. Source: AFP