Cricket:Ashley Giles has been named as England's limited-overs head coach as team director Andy Flower looks to reduce his role with the team.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that the former off-spinner would take over the reins to “provide a more efficient and sustainable use of coaching resources”.
Flower will remain as England team director, and tour with the Test team, but Giles will take over for next month’s limited overs tour of India.
The change in structure will see Giles report to Flower who will retain the “accountability for the results of England cricket”.
Flower has previously stated his desire to dilute his role at the top following the heavy burden of the cricket calendar.
The Zimbabwean has previously taken short breaks from his duties in charge of the national team during limited overs series in the past two years.
“I’m very excited by these changes and very much looking forward to working with Ashley Giles as we look to build on the success England cricket has had in the last few years,” Flower said.
“The changes in my role will provide me with new challenges and the time to allow me to focus on areas that are important if England cricket is to continually improve.
“These include developing strategies to give us an opportunity for sustaining success in all three formats of the game.
“The change in role will also allow me to thoroughly plan and prepare for each of our international series whilst spending the right amount of time at home with my young family.”
Giles led Warwickshire to the County Championship title last season, in his role as director of cricket, and welcomed the opportunity to move into international ranks.
“I am delighted to have been appointed England ODI and T20 head coach and to be given an opportunity to coach at international level,” he said.
“I have worked closely with Andy in recent years as a selector and am looking forward to continuing to work together and to build on the progress that has been made with the ODI and T20 sides in recent years.”
Giles will be able to work with Kevin Pietersen in the upcoming one-day internationals against India, after being named in the England squad today.
Pietersen, in keeping with a rotation policy England are clearly keen to continue and develop, will miss two Twenty20 internationals against India next month,
and off-spinner Graeme Swann is to take a rest in both series.
Pietersen, 32, infamously called time on his international limited-overs career six months ago, a move which kickstarted his summer of discontent and contract wrangles with the ECB.
He subsequently missed his adopted country’s failed defence of their ICC World Twenty20 crown and has to date played no 50 or 20-over international cricket since the tour of the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan last winter.
Pietersen had to undergo a period of ‘reintegration’ in order to secure his return to Test cricket, after a breakdown of relations with some senior players and management.
But the mercurial batsman is back in the fold, especially after his man-of-the-match 186 in England’s series-levelling Test victory over India in Mumbai two days ago.
Elsewhere in the 13-man T20 squad and 15 for the ODIs, there is a place in the former for Surrey fast bowler Stuart Meaker, as yet uncapped in the shortest format, while James Tredwell is in both, as a like-for-like replacement for Swann.
Joining Tredwell in Alastair Cook’s ODI squad are four others who were absent the last time England played a 50-over series in India, 13 months ago.
They are 21-year-old slow left-armer Danny Briggs, batsman Eoin Morgan and pace bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Morgan and Broad were not involved last time, because they were recovering from shoulder injuries.
Anderson will be available for the warm-up fixtures and first three matches only, and Broad for the remainder.
ENGLAND SQUADS - ODI:Alastair Cook (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, James Anderson/ Stuart Broad.
T20:Stuart Broad (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Luke Wright.