Former England cricket head coach ANDY FLOWER "is to become the England and Wales Cricket Board’s technical director of elite coaching," a job based at the National Cricket Performance Center in Loughborough, according to Derek Pringle of the London TELEGRAPH. After "a winter of discontent" that saw England suffer an Ashes whitewash, both Flower and KEVIN PIETERSEN "appear to have got what they want out from the fall out." Flower got "a well-paid job that has minimal travel so he can be with his family" while Pietersen got a full time gig in the Indian Premier League "where he can indulge his wilder excesses of self-promotion and still be loved." Flower's "impressive list of achievements" as England’s team director, which includes three successive Ashes wins, a World T20 title and guiding England to reach No. 1 in all three forms of the game, "always meant he had credit in the bank with his employers" (TELEGRAPH, 3/3). The AFP's Julian Guyer reported England has "yet to appoint a full-time head coach in succession to Flower," with limited overs head coach ASHLEY GILES -- currently in charge of the side in the Caribbean for one-day and Twenty20 series against the West Indies -- "in pole position to take over." Earlier this month former South Africa batsman GARY KIRSTEN, who had "enjoyed successful spells as coach of both the Proteas and India, ruled himself out of the England job on family grounds" (AFP, 3/3). ECB Managing Dir for England cricket PAUL DOWNTON, on the specifics of Flower's new role, said, "Not only will Andy work with both players and coaches but he will also look to enhance the relationship between the county coaches and the England set-up. He will also work with level three and four coaches in the ECB coaching structures" (PA, 3/3).