Andy Flower to play for England in the 2nd Test

By Daniel Stone
England coach & former Zimbabwe batsman Andrew Flower has been granted permission by the International Cricket Council to represent England in the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo after obtaining British Citizenship earlier this week.
 Andy Flower batting for his native Zimbabwe



On the 28th of March, Andy Flower finally obtained the necessary British Citizenship documentation. After a meeting with Haroon Lorgat, the Chief Executive of the ICC, he was granted special permission to play in the 2nd Test. This move by the ICC has shocked many in the cricketing world although, there had been talk of this agreement for quite some time, dating back to the start of the Pakistan Test series in the United Arab Emirates but the deal has only been agreed now because of the lengthy process of acquiring British Citizenship.


Flower, who scored over 11,000 runs for Zimbabwe, will be a great addition to the England team who are currently struggling on their tour of Sri Lanka. With just one Test remaining, England have to beat Sri Lanka to level the series and to remain at number 1. Members of the current team were delighted to hear the news of Flower's addition to the XI. "I can't speak highly enough of him. He will add great value to the team," said all rounder Tim Bresnan. At the pre-match press conference, captain Andrew Strauss added, "He will not only bring years of experience but the appetite for big runs and at 43, he is still probably one of the better players of spin in world cricket."


For this Test, Flower will be temporarily relieved of his coaching duties. Richard Halsall will take up the role of head coach in his absence.