England are looking for a new Test coach. Brendon McCullum will stand down as England Men’s Test head coach but will continue to guide the white-ball teams, the ECB said in a statement on Sunday.
The development comes close on the heels of Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket following a nightclub brawl and a subsequent one-Test ban. Among the names doing the rounds is Andy Flower. Flower is a well-respected figure and is the coach of IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Flower’s colleague at RCB, Dinesh Karthik, believes Flower may not have the time to take up the England role.
“In all seriousness, I think he’ll be a great candidate,” Karthik said on Sky Sports.
“He definitely should be one of the names considered, but I would be very surprised if he took it, considering where England are and his packed schedule as well. He used to do a lot of leagues, and I’m sure that he didn’t have the time. I read an article which said that England would be happy to accommodate the IPL and then the rest of Test cricket, but with the schedule being the way it is, it’ll be very difficult. Like, when Jacob Bethell didn’t come in for the first Test, and Jofra Archer was not available, it kicked up a fuss, and there were plenty of people saying, ‘Why? How come one of the players is not there?’
“With Andy Flower, who already has a pre-signed contract with RCB, which would mean that he would miss parts of those Tests, will it be okay for England in the preparation for the Ashes if they don’t have a coach for a Test match or two? I heard there’s a Test match against Bangladesh in May next year, and if Andy Flower is with RCB, that could be a challenge as well. Is he good? Definitely. He is probably one of the best in the world, if not the best. Will he have time? That’s the question. I would be very surprised if the answer is yes,” he said.
England will have a new Test team head coach when they face Pakistan in a three-match series, which is a part of the World Test Championship.
England lost the recent Test series against New Zealand 1-2 but thrashed India 4-0 in the just-concluded T20I series.
McCullum’s tenure as head coach will come to an end after four years in charge, having led the England team through one of its most exciting and progressive periods in Test history.
ECB CEO Richard Gould said: “Brendon breathed new life into the England Men’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories, and we’re grateful for all he has given to the role.
“We now believe that the time is right to make a change for the Test team as we target victory in the Ashes next summer.