• The Ashes

Flower determined to correct mistakes

Andy Flower is determined to right the wrongs England have suffered in the latest Ashes drubbing © Getty Images

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Andy Flower has reiterated his desire to remain as England team director, but admitted "we've made mistakes" during the Ashes tour of Australia.

Under Flower, the England team won three successive Ashes series, their first global limited-overs tournament - the World Twenty20 of 2010 - and enjoyed periods at the top of the rankings in all three formats of the game.

But as a result of the whitewash defeat in Australia, England have fallen to fourth in the world Test rankings. Furthermore, the margin of defeat in the five games ranks as the worst England have experienced in 30 years.

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"We're not proud of that result," Flower admitted. "It's quite a bitter pill to swallow, but we have to face up to that reality that we've been totally outplayed.

"We've had a lot of good times. This was not a good time for any of us involved with the England cricket team. I like to feel pride about the way we go about things. I don't feel pride in the way we played in this Test series.

"We have some thinking to do and some decisions to make. We've got to review what's happened on this tour. Obviously, we've made mistakes. I need to meet with the key decision-makers to decide what we're going to do."

Those key decision makers include Paul Downton, the new managing director of England cricket who does not formally take-up his new role until February 1, and David Collier, the ECB chief executive, who has already made it clear that Flower retains his unequivocal backing.

"Of course, it's good to have their support," Flower said. "And we all have a responsibility to get our heads together and learn from the mistakes we've made and get things moving in the right direction."

While admitting there should be a review into "playing personnel and support staff" following such a heavy defeat, Flower insisted he would not be resigning.

"Yes, I will be staying in this job," he said. "I am proud of my involvement with the England cricket team and very proud of the results we've had over the last however many years we've all been working together.

"I think it's important that we review this logically and learn from some of the mistakes we've made and ensure we get English cricket moving in the right direction again.

"As part of our review we'll be looking at playing personnel and support staff and making sure we've got the right people on board for the future, but this will be a new start, and so it should be.

"It does feel like the end of some type of era and there will be some sort of new start. We might have to take a little more pain before we have sustained success again and we might have to ask for a little patience in that regard over the coming months.

"I think it will be the start of something new and I think Alastair Cook can lead that renewal and rebuilding the England cricket side."

George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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