England chief Strauss to step down for summer

LONDON: England cricket director Andrew Strauss is to stand down temporarily for the season while his wife Ruth continues her treatment for cancer, with Andy Flower filling in while the former Test captain is on leave.

“My wife was diagnosed with cancer in December,” Strauss told reporters at Lord’s on Tuesday.“We are very lucky she has been very well up to now although she is starting a new treatment on Friday which is going to be more challenging for her and as such I am going to be stepping back from my day-to-day duties while that treatment is going on.”

He added: “On a day-to-day basis Andy Flower is going to be stepping in for me over the course of the (English) summer.” Flower was England’s coach while former opening batsman Strauss enjoyed a successful spell as national captain that included a 2010/11 Ashes series victory in Australia.

The former Zimbabwe batsman has remained in the England and Wales Cricket Board set-up and is currently the coach of England’s second-string Lions.“We all know about his qualities and his experience of both England and English cricket and he will fill in my shoes very adequately,” said Strauss.

“I look forward to returning and grabbing the reins again but at this period of time my focus has to be on supporting Ruth and my family at a challenging time for us.”Strauss has since appointed a new national selector in Ed Smith, a former England batsman.

And on Tuesday he revealed the establishment of a scouting network made up of six former England players in Marcus Trescothick — still playing for Somerset — Glen Chapple, Steve Rhodes, Richard Dawson, Chris Read and James Taylor to assist Smith.