London: Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has stepped down as England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) preferred candidate to become England’s next Test head coach Brendon McCullum.
Fleming, who recently stepped down from his post with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), emerged as the leading contender after discussions with ECB managing director Rob Key.
Although no official appointment has been confirmed yet, the former New Zealand captain is expected to succeed his compatriot.
Widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches in franchise cricket, Fleming led CSK to five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles and also oversaw the franchise’s sister teams in SA20 and Major League Cricket (MLC).
He has previously worked as a consultant in New Zealand and has considerable experience in English cricket, representing Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire as a player and coaching Southern Braves.
Fleming’s appointment will see him work alongside McCullum, who remains England’s white-ball head coach until his contract expires at the end of next year. The pair are close friends, former New Zealand teammates and share business interests, making their working relationship a key factor in the ECB’s planning.
It remains uncertain whether Fleming will take up the role ahead of England’s three-Test home series against Pakistan, which begins at Headingley on August 19. The ECB’s priority is to secure the right coach for next summer’s Ashes campaign, even if that means delaying the appointment.
England will play 10 Tests before the Ashes, including three against Pakistan, three in South Africa, two in Bangladesh, the 150th Test in Melbourne and a home Test against Bangladesh. The ECB has identified the Ashes as a key objective after England won the last series against Australia in 2015.
One of Fleming’s first major tasks will be to select England’s next Test captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement from the format.
Stokes has publicly backed vice-captain Harry Brook for the role, although Brook already leads England’s white-ball sides. The ECB is also considering recalling former captain Joe Root in the interim.
Earlier this week, Australia head coach Andrew Macdonald suggested England’s new coach could persuade Stokes to withdraw his retirement ahead of the Ashes series.
“The fairy tale is that he comes out of retirement and gets another Ashes,” Macdonald said. “For me, he has a lot of good cricket left.”
Former England coach Andy Flower was initially considered a strong candidate, but ruled himself out, saying he was content with his current roles at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and London Spirit.
Other names linked with the vacancy include Tom Moody, Richard Dawson and Jonathan Trott, although Fleming is now seen as the clear front-runner.
The ECB could still offer coaching roles to either Dawson or Trott. Dawson has impressed during his tenure at Glamorgan after previously serving as England’s white-ball assistant coach, while Trott remains after leaving his role with Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, former Australian coach Justin Langer confirmed earlier this week that he had not been approached by the ECB about the position.
Most of England’s Test players are currently in The Hundred, which runs until August 16, while Shoaib Bashir, Emilio Kay and Ollie Robinson play in the Metro Bank One Day Trophy.