England have reportedly drawn up a nine-man shortlist to replace Brendon McCullum as the head coach of the men’s Test team following his departure from the role. The coaching vacancy emerged after England’s disappointing 2-1 home Test series defeat to New Zealand, a campaign that also marked the end of Ben Stokes’ international career.
According to the Daily Mail, former Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is among the leading candidates. The New Zealand great recently ended his highly successful 18-year association with the IPL franchise, during which he guided CSK to five Indian Premier League titles and two Champions League T20 trophies. Despite his remarkable coaching success in franchise cricket, Fleming has never taken charge of an international team.
The shortlist also features several experienced names from the global coaching circuit. Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower, Pakistan white-ball coach Mike Hesson, Rajasthan Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara, Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer, and team director Tom Moody are all reportedly under consideration.
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Former England batter Jonathan Trott, Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson, and former Ireland coach Adi Birrell complete the list of candidates being assessed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
The reported candidates being considered by the ECB for the England Men’s Test head coach role are:
Andy Flower 🇿🇼 (Current frontrunner)
Jonathan Trott 🏴
Richard Dawson 🏴
Stephen Fleming 🇳🇿
Justin Langer 🇦🇺
Kumar Sangakkara 🇱🇰
Tom Moody 🇦🇺
Mike Hesson 🇳🇿
Adi Birrell 🇿🇦Not on… pic.twitter.com/ptIxynFWkZ
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) July 14, 2026
Interestingly, despite recent speculation, former India head coach Rahul Dravid has reportedly not been included in the ECB’s shortlist. Among the contenders, Flower remains one of the most experienced international coaches, having previously guided England to the 2010 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title and a memorable Ashes series victory in Australia. However, questions remain over whether he is willing to return to full-time international coaching.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who currently works alongside Flower at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, recently admitted he would be surprised if the Zimbabwean accepted the role, citing his extensive commitments in franchise cricket. Reports also suggest that Flower has privately expressed doubts about returning to the demanding international schedule at this stage of his career.
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England are expected to finalise their new Test coach before the opening Test against Pakistan on August 19. The team will then travel to South Africa for a three-match Test series, making the appointment a key priority for the ECB. Alongside the coaching search, England are also looking for a new Test captain, with current white-ball skipper Harry Brook emerging as one of the frontrunners to succeed Ben Stokes.
