The ECB will consider allowing Brendon McCullum’s successor to work in the IPL and also become the head coach of the England Test team. The move could open the door for Andy Flower to return to the role, allowing him to retain his role at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Flower oversaw a hugely successful period for the England Test team during the 2009–14 season, leading them to number one in the ICC rankings and winning away series in both Australia and India. He has since become a standout coach within the franchise, winning back-to-back IPL titles with RCB and is set to become coach of the London Spirit in the Hundred later this month.
The ECB decided this week that McCullum should be sacked and informed him of the decision on Saturday morning ahead of England’s fifth T20I match against India in Southampton. Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said on Sunday after the decision was announced that a “targeted selection process” for his successor would begin immediately.
Gould said he already has a shortlist of six to 10 names – “there is always a shortlist for all the key positions at the ECB, including my own” – although he declined to confirm or deny the identities of any of the people on it. However, he made it clear that the desire to continue with the IPL does not necessarily rule out any potential candidates.
“We have to be progressive on these issues,” Gould said. “We have players trying to balance between county, franchise and international cricket. We have a very busy calendar. We may have to do the same with our coaching and support staff; to some extent we already do this. But I think that’s something we’ll have to look at.”
“One of the challenges is that the dates for the IPL are not fixed and there may be some compromises to be made along the way. But the important thing is that we have the best people who are the best fit, and we recruit them for these positions. This is something we will definitely look into.”
McCullum stepped down from his role at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when he took over the Test job, but the England staff had previously held parallel roles at the T20 franchise. Tim Southee left the Ashes tour after one match to play in the ILT20, while several staff – analysts, physiotherapists and team manager Wayne Bentley – worked in the IPL alongside the England team.
Can the ECB convince RCB coach Andy Flower to take part in the England Test alongside his commitments?•BCCI
However, IPL dates sometimes clash with England’s Test commitments. This year, Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer missed the training camp ahead of the first New Zealand Test (Archer also missed the Test itself) while in India; England are due to play a one-off Test next year – most likely against Bangladesh in late May or early June – which could coincide with the play-offs.
The recruitment process for McCallum’s successor will be led by Rob Key, who Gould has backed to continue as England managing director on a ‘long-term’ basis.” The ECB hopes to schedule a meeting ahead of the next Test series against Pakistan, which begins on August 19, but will consider an interim coach if necessary.
The ECB are unlikely to appoint Ben Stokes’ successor as Test captain until a new head coach is appointed, although Gould hinted there was a “clear direction of travel” and suggested that captaining England in all three formats would be “too much of a challenge for an individual”.
His comments appear to rule out the prospect of Harry Brook, England’s white-ball captain, leading across formats and leave open the possibility that Joe Root could return as Test captain in a caretaker role on a short-term basis. “Once we decide on the position of the test coach, then that decision will be made,” Gould said.Gould also rejected a proposal to exclude Andrew Flintoff from the race for the vacancy. Flintoff is England Lions head coach, but promotion to the top job could raise eyebrows given his long-standing links to ECB chairman Richard Thompson through talent agency M&C Saatchi Merlin. “We are not taking any option off the table,” Gould said.
Brendon McCullum quit his job at Kolkata Knight Riders when he was appointed England Test coach.•Robert Cianflone/ICC/Getty Images
Gould made a significant U-turn by sacking McCullum for just three Tests after he insisted the ECB would not accept an “easy” cleanup option after the Ashes, but said he had no choice but to respond after the 2-1 series defeat to New Zealand.
“The results were not what we wanted. It has always been a results-oriented business,” he said. “The results mean we need to change something. We currently have 10 Test matches before the Ashes start in 2027 and so while we have a significant amount of time to prepare for that again with a new manager coming in, we want to take as much time as we have.”
Matt Roller is a senior reporter at Cricinfo. @mroller98