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Flower appointed to top England cricket job

  • Story Highlights
  • Andy Flower appointed to England job ahead of the Ashes series this summer
  • Former-Zimbabwe star appointed after doing job on interim basis in Caribbean
  • Previous coach Peter Moores quit the job after public row with Kevin Pietersen
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(CNN) -- Former Zimbabwe Test star Andy Flower will take charge of the England cricket team ahead of the crucial Ashes series against Australia.

Flower was unveiled as new England team chief at Lord's on Wednesday.

Flower was unveiled as new England team chief at Lord's on Wednesday.

Flower, who was appointed as the new team director on Wednesday, was the stand-in coach for England's winter tour of the West Indies.

He stepped in at the last minute when Peter Moores stepped down after his public falling out with former captain Kevin Pietersen.

England lost the Test series in the Caribbean before claiming the one-day series and Flower forged a strong relationship with new skipper Andrew Strauss.

"I'm very honored to be given the position. I believe the last three months will stand me in good stead.

"I was interim coach for that tour, now that I'm in charge, so to speak, things change, definitely," he told Press Association.

The West Indies visit England for a Test series rematch ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 and the clash with Australia later in the summer.

England are desperate to regain the coveted Ashes having won them in an epic home series in 2005 before Australia took them back on home soil 18 months later.

England have slipped down the rankings since their 2005 success and Flower admitted he faces some tough decisions with the possible recall of another former captain Michael Vaughan.

"That is one of the topics that will be discussed," he said.

Flower also backed former captain Pietersen, who is currently in South Africa with key teammate Andrew Flintoff for the lucrative Indian Premier League.

"He's very important to English cricket. He's a very fine player. Kevin and I have always got on pretty well and that hasn't changed."

Flower enjoyed a glittering career with Zimbable, hitting 12 Test centuries in 63 matches at an average of over 50.

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