Andy Flower, the England coach, was smiling warmly as he congratulated each of the England players as they returned to the dressing room at Edgbaston after winning the third Test and claiming top spot in the world rankings for the first time since 1979.
That smile is a rare sight. Flower, the driving force behind Team England, is a serious man who wants to be known as a serious man and he has the record both on the field and off to prove his case.
The players like him because they feel he is not intent on capturing their limelight, his bosses relish his consistency, his victories and his polite demeanour and the ever present English Press — who can make or break a captain or coach in a few days — appreciate his thoughtful answers to their questions and occasional flashes of humour.
They look forward to his Press conferences; a contrast with Duncan Fletcher, also a product of Zimbabwe cricket and another serious man but whose attitude said that everything was best kept secret.
In every sense Flower demands respect but he is not a coach who likes to remind his audience of his own great moments.
He was the finest batsman in Zimbabwe's history and their outstanding wicket-keeper who bore comparison with Australia's Adam Gilchrist the best of that era ten years ago. He was also a clever captain and a brave political animal.
Right at the end of his Test career he and fast bowler Henry Olonga defied the Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, a man who does not tolerate such insubordination, by wearing black armbands to signify the death of democracy in their country and issuing a statement to explain their feelings.

Proved himself

Flower joined Essex, which by a coincidence was also the finishing school for Geoff Miller, now the national selector. He could not have found a tougher home for at Essex you have to prove yourself every time you play but do so under the guidance of Keith Fletcher and Graham Gooch, two of the most knowledgeable, most committed cricketers in the game.
Fletcher was far from a success in the role now held by Flower but I defy anyone to name a leader with more understanding of the way cricket can be played. Gooch was not a great England captain but the two have played a major part in the development of Flower, now probably the finest coach in the world.
As you might expect he does it his way. He is adept at delegating and has given such routine jobs as catching practice to Phil Neal, better known as the organisational man in the backroom, appointed Gooch to be batting coach, even though his own Test average was above 50, and brought forward forgotten men like the one-time England wicket-keeper Bruce French to add the last refinements to the work of Matt Prior.
His job is thinking, he is more a manager than a hands-on coach. He believes his players understand his concept of personal responsibility and can be left to get on with playing.
As England hold the T20 World title and lead the Test rankings, he says the only target left is the 50-over World Cup. Why not?