Andy Flower

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Andy Flower
Zimbabwe
Personal information
Full name	Andrew Flower
Nickname	Petals
Born	28 April 1968 (1968-04-28) (age 40)
	Cape Town, South Africa
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Role	Wicket-keeper
Batting style	Left-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm off break
International information
Test debut (cap 6)	18 October 1992: v India
Last Test	16 November 2002: v Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 20)	23 February 1992: v Sri Lanka
Last ODI	15 March 2003: v Sri Lanka
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2002-2006	Essex
1996-2005	MCC
2003/04	South Australia
1993/94-2002/03	Mashonaland
Career statistics
	Tests	ODIs	FC	LA
Matches	63	213	223	380
Runs scored	4794	6786	16379	12511
Batting average	51.54	35.34	54.05	38.97
100s/50s	12/27	4/55	49/75	12/97
Top score	232*	145	271*	145
Balls bowled	3	30	629	132
Wickets	-	-	7	1
Bowling average	-	-	38.57	103.00
5 wickets in innings	-	-	0	0
10 wickets in match	-	-	0	0
Best bowling	-	-	1/1	1/21
Catches/stumpings	151/9	141/32	361/21	254/48
As of 13 November 2007 Source: Cricinfo

Andrew "Andy" Flower (born 28 April 1968 in Cape Town, South Africa) was an international cricketer for Zimbabwe and now the assistant coach of England. He played from his high school days at St. George's College through to most of his career alongside his younger brother Grant Flower. Flower is considered to be one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen, alongside players such as Australian Adam Gilchrist and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara. He made his international debut in a One Day International against Sri Lanka at New Plymouth, New Zealand in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. He was Zimbabwe's wicket-keeper for over 10 years and, according to official statistics, by far the finest batsman the country has ever fielded. A good player of spin, he made 540 runs in a Test series against India in 2000/01. This tally came in just four innings and he was only dismissed twice.

Nearing the end of his career, Flower achieved international recognition (along with team mate Henry Olonga) in 2003 by wearing a black armband in a Cricket World Cup match to protest against the policies of Zimbabwe's government, led by Robert Mugabe. He and Olonga released a statement on 10 February, stating in part:

Andy Flower's career performance graph.

This act led to pressure from Zimbabwe's government and Flower's retirement from Zimbabwean cricket. He later played an English county cricket season for Essex and an Australian domestic season for South Australia.

Flower played 63 Test matches for Zimbabwe, scoring 4,794 runs at an average of 51.54 and taking 151 catches and 9 stumpings, and 213 one-day internationals, scoring 6,786 runs at an average of 35.34 and taking 141 catches and 32 stumpings. He holds the Zimbawean records for the most Test career runs, the highest Test batting average, and most ODI career runs. He is the only Zimbabwean in the ICC's Top 100 All-time Test Batting rankings at Number 24, putting him in the company of Brian Lara (ranked 19), Sachin Tendulkar (20), Steve Waugh (23) and Rahul Dravid (25 in September 2006).

On 7 May 2007 Andy was appointed Assistant Coach of the England team replacing Matthew Maynard. Andy Flower will join up with Peter Moores and the rest of the squad for the first test match against the West Indies at Lord's on 17 May 2007. Upon his appointment to this role with the ECB, Flower, having not played yet this season due to injury, ended his playing spell at Essex, bringing his playing career to a close. This has left him stranded on 49 first class centuries, so whether he will still play the occasional first class match for M.C.C. in order to try to reach his landmark remains to be seen.

[edit] External links

• Full text of Olonga and Flower's World Cup protest statement

v • d • e Zimbabwe squad - 1992 Cricket World Cup 1 Houghton (c) • 2 Arnott • 3 Brandes • 4 Burmester • 5 Butchart • 6 Campbell • 7 Duers • 8 A Flower (wk) • 9 James • 10 Jarvis • 11 Pycroft • 12 Shah • 13 Traicos • 14 Waller

v • d • e Zimbabwe squad - 1996 Cricket World Cup 1 A Flower (c/wk) • 2 Brandes • 3 Campbell • 4 Davies • 5 Evans • 6 GW Flower • 7 Lock • 8 Olonga • 9 Peall • 10 BC Strang • 11 PA Strang • 12 Streak • 13 Waller • 14 Whittall

v • d • e Zimbabwe squad - 1999 Cricket World Cup 1 Campbell (c) • 2 Brandes • 3 Carlisle • 4 A Flower (wk) • 5 GW Flower • 6 Goodwin • 7 Huckle • 8 Johnson • 9 Mbangwa • 10 Olonga • 11 Strang • 12 Streak • 13 Viljoen • 14 AR Whittall • 15 GJ Whittall

v • d • e Zimbabwe squad - 2003 Cricket World Cup 1 Streak (c) • 2 Blignaut • 3 Ebrahim • 4 Ervine • 5 A Flower (wk) • 6 GW Flower • 7 Friend • 8 Hondo • 9 Marillier • 10 Murphy • 11 Olonga • 12 Taibu (wk) • 13 Vermeulen • 14 Whittall • 15 Wishart • 16 Campbell • 17 Matsikenyeri • Coach: Marsh Campbell and Matsikenyeri replaced Vermeulen and Murphy on 10 March 2003