Stephen Fleming emerges as favourite for England Test coach role

LONDON: Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has emerged as the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) preferred candidate to become England's next Test head coach following Brendon McCullum's departure from the role.

Fleming, who recently stepped down from his position with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is understood to be the leading contender after holding discussions with ECB managing director Rob Key.

The former New Zealand skipper is expected to succeed his compatriot, although no official appointment has yet been confirmed.

Widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches in franchise cricket, Fleming guided CSK to five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles and has also overseen the franchise's sister teams in SA20 and Major League Cricket (MLC).

He has previously worked as a consultant with New Zealand and possesses considerable experience in English cricket, having represented Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire as a player, while also serving as coach of Southern Brave.

Fleming's appointment would see him working alongside McCullum, who remains England's white-ball head coach until the expiry of his contract at the end of next year. The pair are close friends, former New Zealand team-mates and have shared business interests, making their working relationship a key factor in the ECB's planning.

It remains uncertain whether Fleming will assume the role before England's three-Test home series against Pakistan, which begins on August 19 at Headingley. The ECB's priority is to ensure the right coach is in place for next summer's Ashes campaign, even if that means delaying the appointment.

England are scheduled to play 10 Tests before the Ashes, including three against Pakistan, three in South Africa, two in Bangladesh, the 150th anniversary Test in Melbourne and a home Test against Bangladesh. The ECB have identified the Ashes as a major objective after England's last series victory over Australia in 2015.

One of Fleming's first major tasks could be selecting England's next Test captain following Ben Stokes' retirement from the format.

Stokes publicly backed vice-captain Harry Brook for the role, although Brook already leads England's white-ball sides. The ECB are also considering an interim return for former captain Joe Root.

Earlier this week, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald suggested England's new coach could persuade Stokes to reverse his retirement ahead of the Ashes.

"The fairytale would be that he comes back out of retirement and takes on one more Ashes," McDonald said. "To me, he's still got a lot of good cricket left in him."

Former England coach Andy Flower had initially been viewed as a strong candidate but ruled himself out, stating he was content with his current roles at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and London Spirit.

Other names linked with the vacancy included Tom Moody, Richard Dawson and Jonathan Trott, though Fleming is now considered the clear frontrunner.

The ECB could still offer coaching roles to Dawson or Trott. Dawson has impressed during his tenure at Glamorgan after previously serving as England's white-ball assistant coach, while Trott is available after leaving his role with Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, former Australia coach Justin Langer confirmed earlier this week that he had not been approached by the ECB regarding the position.

Most of England's Test players are currently featuring in The Hundred, which runs until August 16, while Shoaib Bashir, Emilio Gay and Ollie Robinson are playing in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.

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