ECB chief hints Giles will succeed Flower

England Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke hinted Saturday that Ashley Giles would succeed Andy Flower as Test coach after the former Zimbabwe international quit following their Ashes whitewash. Flower resigned on Friday to allow the team to rebuild after their disastrous tour of Australia, where they lost the Test series 5-0. However, he is remaining a selector "for the time being", with British reports saying the decision to stand down was his alone and not prompted by the Ashes humiliation. Flower had already ceded coaching control of England's one- day team to former England spinner Giles, and said he had come to the conclusion that a man in his position needed to be "responsible across all formats". Clarke suggested Giles could take over all three formats, without putting a timeframe on any appointment. "We would all agree he is a very strong candidate. We have the highest regard for him as a man and coach of great integrity and capability," he said in Melbourne. "He played a lot of cricket for England and is respected in the game. It may well be that other outstanding candidates emerge as Paul Downton (England cricket's managing director) leads the process." England's next Test match is not until the northern hemisphere summer, when they host Sri Lanka, according to a news agency.