BBC SPORT | Cricket | Pick of Zimbabwe's bunch

BBC Sport Online profiles Zimbabwe's Andy Flower following his 142 not out in the third one-day match against England.

When Andy Flower was announced as International Cricketer of the Year, some eyebrows were raised.

In terms of public profile, surely he could not compete with Darren Gough, Glenn McGrath, Sachin Tendulkar, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shaun Pollock and Inzamam-ul-Haq - the other names on the short-list.

But the fact that 33-year-old Flower was the man chosen by his peers underlines how highly he is regarded within cricket circles.

Only last month he became the first wicket-keeper to score two hundreds in the same Test match.

And his superb 142 off only 128 balls against England offered further proof that he has every right to be bracketed with the best.

Steve and Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and McGrath deserve every bit of praise they have received for their efforts in helping keep Australia on the top of the cricket tree.

But how much more difficult is it to excel consistently in a team which is struggling to compete on level terms with larger Test nations?

The International Cricketer of the Year
Receiving his award at a London ceremony

Every time Flower walks out to bat for his country, the weight of expectation is upon his shoulders.

Brother Grant and Alistair Campbell have both had their moments, but it is Flower who is regarded as the prize wicket by opposition bowlers.

His response to being yorked by England's Matthew Hoggard after making only six in the second one-day game bore all the hallmarks of a top-class batsman.

Eleven centuries and 24 fifties in 54 Tests, an average in the mid-50s, plus almost 5,500 runs in one-day internationals, is a magnificent record.

Self belief and thorough preparation are two of the key ingredients in Flower's approach to batting.

"I remember early on reading up about the psychology of competitive sport and convincing myself that there wasn't a chasm to bridge," he told England's Independent on Sunday newspaper earlier this year.

"I heard about Gary Sobers from West Indian psychologist Rudi Webster and how he used to watch the bowlers in the nets, where the release was, where the seam was going.

Keeping wicket in a one-day international
Flower also has more than 350 catches

"I do that - and also work on balance and depth perception, even the basics of moving forward and back. I could take for two hours on it."

All too often, his heroics have been in vain.

In March last year, he hit what should have been a match-winning 113 not out against West Indies in Port of Spain but, having been set only 99 to win, Zimbabwe collapsed to 63 all out.

But eight months later, his 232 not out against India in Nagpur saved his side from defeat.

In between, he was sacked as skipper following a tour to England which was dominated by a pay dispute.

The loss of the captaincy has, however, enabled him to re-focus on his batting

Flower's advice helps Zimbabwe's youngsters
Flower shares a drink with Hamilton Masakadza

But Zimbabwe badly need more talented batsmen to emerge following the retirement of Murray Goodwin and Neil Johnson.

"If my being International Cricketer of the Year can do anything, it can show young players at home what they can achieve out there," said Flower, on receiving his award.

The brightest of their young batsmen, Hamilton Masakadza, is still dividing his time between international cricket and the schoolroom.

But others are slowly emerging - with Flower setting the standard they aspire to reach.

Perhaps the garden is not empty after all.


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