Flower appointed new England coach

LONDON: Andy Flower was on Wednesday named as the new England coach by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The 40-year-old former Zimbabwe and Es+++ batsman was unveiled as the man to lead England''s bid to win The Ashes at a press conference at Lord''s.

He was the overwhelming favourite to be given the job after stepping in as caretaker when Peter Moores was sacked in January.

Flower, who acted as Moores''s assistant in 2007, takes over the top job in English cricket after overseeing the recent tour of the West Indies.

Crucially he had the support of players like England skipper Andrew Strauss and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who were impressed by his man-management in the Caribbean.

Under his management England were defeated in the Test series before securing a 3-2 victory in the one-day series.

His first fixture on a hectic summer schedule comes on May 6 and the start of the West Indies return tour, followed by the Twenty20 World Cup and The Ashes against Australia.