The Plan: How Fletcher and Flower Transformed English Cricket
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
In 1999, England slumped to a new low in their tumultuous cricket history. Defeat at home by a mediocre New Zealand team saw them fall to the bottom of the world Test rankings, below even Zimbabwe. Yet only just over a decade later, England reached the top. It was a remarkable and profound transformation, brought about largely by two men with an insatiable desire to succeed, Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower.
In The Plan, Steve James tells the story of the renaissance of English cricket from a unique perspective. As the former batting partner of ECB managing director Hugh Morris, a player under Fletcher at Glamorgan and Flower's closest confidant in the press corps, James is the perfect analyst of this period in cricket history. From crucial choices of captain to innovative coaching and a complete overhaul of training and preparation for matches, it is the tale of a refusal to be second best.
And in examining Fletcher and Flower's background in Zimbabwe, where James himself played, he uncovers the continental shift behind the turnaround. It is the story of how English steel was melded with African fire to create the most potent combination in world cricket.
Customer Reviews
Disappointing!
What a disappointment this book was. I was hoping for some insights into the methods and coaching processes employed by both Flower and Fletcher that got the England team to where they are. Instead, this book is full of rambling opinions and gossip, darting all over the place in such a random way it's often difficult to follow. If I had wanted to read the insights and egotistical opinions of anyone, I would choose to go to someone who has been there, done it and got the T-shirt, not an average County cricketer turned journalist! And as for revealing Flower's cancer scare before his preferred press release - shame on you!
Steve James clearly feels that his mate Duncan Fletcher has suffered an injustice at the hands of English cricket and this book is his vehicle to sound that. If you feel the same, then this book is for you.
If, however, you're looking for an objective insight into the operational tactics of the England team, then steer clear of this book.
If I could, I would ask for a refund - its a long while since I've been so disgruntled with a purchase!