Grant Flower facts for kids
Flower in 2005
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 20 December 1970 Salisbury, Rhodesia |
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| Nickname | Flower Power | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left arm orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Opening batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Andy Flower (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 7) | 18 October 1992 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 26 February 2004 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 27) | 25 October 1992 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 17 October 2010 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 68 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994/95–2003/04 | Mashonaland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Leicestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Essex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010/11 | Mashonaland Eagles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 6 January 2022
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Grant William Flower (born December 20, 1970) is a famous Zimbabwean cricket coach and former player. He used to be the batting coach for teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Sussex.
Many people think Grant Flower is one of Zimbabwe's best cricketers ever. He was known for his steady left-arm spin bowling and excellent batting skills. He was also very fit and a great fielder, often playing in the gully position.
Grant and his brother, Andy Flower, were a powerful duo in Zimbabwean batting for ten years. They were even nicknamed "Flower Power"! Grant was often the opening batsman, playing a steady role while other players hit big shots.
One of Zimbabwe's greatest Test wins was against a strong Pakistan team, and Grant played a key part. He seemed to enjoy playing against Pakistan, scoring three centuries against them, including an amazing 201 runs without being out.
Grant Flower also holds a special record in cricket. He was the first batsman to stay in and bat through an entire innings in two different types of international games: One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches. This is called "carrying his bat."
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Start
Grant Flower was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He and his brother Andy went to North Park School, where they were top players. When he was younger, Grant bowled fast, but he switched to spin bowling in high school.
In 1990–91, Grant became a professional cricketer. His first big game was for Zimbabwe against England A. In his second match, he opened the batting and scored 50 runs. He also had many great partnerships with his brother Andy.
When he was just 19, Grant helped Zimbabwe win a tournament in 1990. This win allowed Zimbabwe to qualify for the World Cup and later become a Test cricket nation. Grant missed the 1992 World Cup because of an injury. He also spent time playing for cricket clubs in England during the early 1990s.
Becoming an International Star
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After the World Cup, Zimbabwe was given "Test status," meaning they could play longer, more challenging matches. Grant was chosen to play in Zimbabwe's first-ever Test match against India on October 18, 1992. He opened the batting and scored 82 runs, just missing a century on his debut! Later, against India again, he scored 96 runs, almost getting his first century.
In 1995, Pakistan visited Zimbabwe. In the first Test, Grant finally scored his first Test century. He didn't stop there, though; he went on to score a double century (201 runs not out!). He batted for a very long time, helping Zimbabwe win their first Test match by a large margin. He continued to play well against Pakistan, scoring another century in Pakistan.
In 1997, Grant Flower became the first Zimbabwean to score a century in both innings of a Test match. This happened against New Zealand in Harare, where he scored 104 and 151 runs. A year later, he scored his fifth Test century, 156 runs not out, against Pakistan. After this, he had a tough time scoring runs for a while, but he bounced back in 2000 with another century against India.
One Day International Highlights
Grant Flower's One Day International (ODI) career was also very successful. He took more wickets (got more batters out) than any other Zimbabwean bowler except Heath Streak. He scored six ODI centuries. He also got out in the 90s nine times, just missing more centuries!
One of his most memorable centuries was in a tournament final in Bangladesh. Playing against Kenya, he scored a quick century in just 82 balls and finished with 140 runs. He also holds the record for taking the most catches as a fielder for Zimbabwe in ODI history, with 86 catches.
Grant Flower was also the first batsman to "carry his bat" through an entire ODI innings. This means he started batting at the beginning and was still batting when the innings ended. He is also the only batsman to have done this in an ODI match that his team won!
Playing for Clubs and Coaching Career
In 2004, Grant decided to retire from international cricket. He then signed a contract to play for Essex in England, where he played alongside his brother Andy. He did very well for Essex, especially in 2005, where he was a top scorer and took many wickets.
After a great season with Essex, Grant was surprisingly called back to play for the Zimbabwe team in 2010. He was also going to be the batting coach for the national team. He made his international comeback in October 2010 against South Africa.
In October 2010, Grant became the batting coach for Zimbabwe, a role he held until 2013. In May 2014, he became the batting coach for the Pakistan cricket team. He helped Pakistan win the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, which he considers a big achievement. His contract with Pakistan ended in August 2019. He also coached the Rangpur Riders team in Bangladesh.
In December 2019, Grant Flower was appointed as the batting coach for Sri Lanka for two years. In July 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Sri Lanka from England, but he was in stable condition.
Images for kids
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Grant Flower in 2005
See also
In Spanish: Grant Flower para niños
