Steve James: England must beware of burning out coach Andy Flower

On call: Englandf coach Andy Flower has an onerous task with little respite in a hectic schedulePhoto: PA
By Steve James4:00PM GMT 15 Jan 2011

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It says much about Englands improvements and consistent quality that they have lost just 10 of those matches. But it also says much about the crowded international itinerary that not one player has appeared in all 43 matches.
The closest are Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann, with 40 appearances each, but both had to be rested last year, Collingwood skipping two home Tests against Bangladesh (he also missed a one-day international against Pakistan at the Oval due to a virus) and Swann being left out of the three home ODIs against Bangladesh.
Stuart Broad is next with 35, having sat out the same home Tests as Collingwood, while missing an ODI in Bangladesh with back trouble and then, of course, leaving the Ashes tour after the second Test with a nasty torn stomach muscle injury.
Modern cricket schedules simply do not allow players to stay on the treadmill all year. Collingwood is now to hop off for Tests, Andrew Strauss has done so for T20s for some time, but for the remainder their wellbeing and longevity are at the discretion of the team management. Like it or not, rest and rotation must now be an accepted part of international cricket.
Which brings me to England team director Andy Flower. When does the man doling out the rest periods get a rest himself? The only couple of match days he has missed during the last year were when having a malignant melanoma removed from his cheek during the recent Brisbane Test.

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