A day that started with Justin Langer saying England should pick a homegrown candidate as their new Test coach after admitting he’d not been approached for the role, ended with New Zealander Stephen Fleming all-but guaranteed the job.
Just a fortnight after Brendon McCullum was relieved of the position – but still retained as England’s white-ball coach – it is understood that Fleming is set to be appointed.
It adds another Kiwi to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) payroll and is perhaps the only move director of cricket Rob Key could make after deciding to split the two coaching roles once again.
Andy Flower, the ECB’s No 1 choice for the job at the start of the process, partly turned it down because he was wary of the competing agendas and issues split coaches bring. He went through it during his first spell in charge of England when Ashley Giles was appointed white-ball coach in late 2012. It didn’t work. Both men were gone in less than 18 months.
Fleming, 53, is short on international coaching experience having spent the past 18 years in the Indian Premier League, standing down from his long-standing role with Chennai Super Kings at the start of this month.
