Andy Flower's decision to quit as team director of the England cricket team could start off a debate about the future of South African-born batsman Kevin Pietersen in the squad, given that his continued off-the-field antics was one of the factors cited for the departure of the coach.
In an article for The Guardian newspaper, former Test fast bowler Mike Selvey opines that Flower's decision to quit to possibly take up another significant role in the ECB set-up following a five nil Ashes thrashing at the hands of Australia Down Under should not come as a surprise.
Rather, he says that Flower's departure could result in focus being trained on Pietersen and his future in the national squad, which he adds is most likely to become an issue once the terms of his new IPL contract become clear.
Selvey believes that Pietersen's future may already have been decided after Flower, true to his character, weighed up all issues surrounding the England cricket team, and, without prompting or pushing, come to a pragmatic decision to walk away from a post that he has occupied with such distinction for the past five years.
Selvey states that new ECB managing director Paul Downton has been saved from wielding the axe on the coaching set-up after arguably the most disastrous winter tour of cricket England has ever endured.
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Reports indicate that Flower's credentials will not be allowed to go to waste and that he will probably work from the high performance centre at Loughborough, something that can only be for the benefit of England cricket.
While he advises the ECB to persist with a caretaker arrangement till the summer, and look for the right replacement for Flower, Selvey says the ECB would most definitely have to return to the drawing board, and rechalk strategy to get out of their present state of sloth and reports of team disharmony.
He says Flower's personal feelings on Pietersen were well known, but he wisely kept those feelings to one side, and considered only doing what he thought to be in the best interest of the England side.
Currently, there is a majority view that Pietersen should not be jettisoned, while Flower thought he should have been. This made his position as team director untenable, concludes Selvey.
