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4 hours ago
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The hunt for the next coach of the England men’s Test team is being complicated by the need for the new appointee to work alongside the man he would be replacing, Brendon McCullum, rather than taking full control of both red- and white-ball squads.
Some high-profile candidates have been unwilling to work within such a setup, either because they want full oversight over the senior men’s teams or because of the unique challenge of working alongside the person who was sacked as Test coach earlier this month.
The issue is exacerbated by next year’s schedule: though the Test side will be the focus of attention until the end of the Ashes in early August they would then take a backseat to the ODI team before the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November. Even with the Ashes on the horizon the white-ball coach would be expected to argue that multi-format players, including the current white-ball captain, Harry Brook, should play the five-game ODI series against Pakistan that starts the international summer, while the Test coach could demand they concentrate on the one-off Test against Bangladesh that begins less than 48 hours after its conclusion.
As a result the process of appointing a new coach is taking longer than first hoped. Rob Key, the managing director of men’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board, who is leading the recruitment process, was initially optimistic that someone would be in place before the three-match Test series against Pakistan that starts on 19 August. But the ECB is increasingly resigned to – and relaxed about – the process dragging on beyond that date. Once that series ends on 13 September there is a gap of 87 days before the team is next in action, when their tour of South Africa starts with a three-day game against a CSA Invitational XI in Durban, and sources say they are determined to pursue the best appointment rather than the quickest.
The ECB has started the process of meeting leading candidates, and expect to hold multiple rounds of interviews over several weeks. Justin Langer, the Australian who is coaching Manchester Super Giants in the Hundred, is believed to have fallen from favour, with the former England batter Jonathan Trott, the Glamorgan head coach, Richard Dawson, and McCullum’s former New Zealand teammate Stephen Fleming among those still in contention.
If there is no permanent appointment before the Pakistan series, Key will name both an interim coach and an interim captain, with Marcus Trescothick – who worked as assistant coach under McCullum – the presumptive frontrunner to take the coaching role, though alternatives are being considered, and Joe Root the clear frontrunner to lead the team once again.
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After retiring from international cricket earlier this month, Ben Stokes anointed Brook as his permanent successor as captain and Brook has publicly indicated his willingness to take the job on. But the 27-year-old also leads the white-ball teams and is doing so with such success that there is no desire to distract him unnecessarily. It is unlikely that anyone will be asked to captain in all three formats given England’s congested schedule – the white-ball side could be playing a T20 against Sri Lanka at Southampton’s Utilita Bowl in September within 48 hours of the Pakistan series ending at Edgbaston.
