‘Rampant cronyism’ fear in Poms coaching pick as Baz-like blunder already called out — UK View

England’s shift into the post-Bazball era has officially begun, with former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming officially appointed as countryman Brendon McCullum’s successor as the nation’s Test coach.

The 53-year old, who has never coached a red-ball team but is the IPL’s most successful coach with five titles, won the job after a selection process that saw former England players Jonathan Trott and Richard Dawson, as well as Australian Tom Moody, considered.

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Justin Langer and Andy Flower were other names reported to be in the mix, but the latter declined to apply while Langer was never interviewed.

Fleming will work closely with McCullum, who will remain on as ODI and T20I coach, when he begins in December 2026 ahead of England’s tour of South Africa.

Former England opener Marcus Trescothick will step in as interim coach for the team’s upcoming three-Test home series against Pakistan.

The appointment, and Fleming’s status as a measured, calm figurehead not dissimilar to Australian coach Andrew McDonald, has already proved popular among English greats.

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“In cricketing terms, and in his general demeanour, he’s a grown-up, and a grown-up is what is required at this juncture,” former captain Michael Atherton wrote in The Times.

“In outlook, he will not be dramatically different from McCullum, though he will run a tighter ship.”

For Atherton, the one time Black Caps Test runs record-holder is an ideal halfway mark between his predecessor’s infamous looseness, which led to disaster in the 2025/26 Ashes, and a more rigid taskmaster.

“It would have been silly to appoint someone at the opposite end of the McCullum spectrum — a Justin Langer, say — given what McCullum has achieved and built into the dressing room culture and given that he is still around,” he wrote.

“Similar philosophy with a sharper edge and more attention to detail may be the best way to describe Fleming’s likely approach.”

Former England triple-format international Chris Jordan, who has worked closely with Fleming at Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and Southern Brave in The Hundred, praised the 53-year old’s “empathy”.

“He has a very relaxed aura about him but he’s still very, very detailed in his planning and his messaging. And he’s very, very good at creating role clarity within a team,” Jordan told The Guardian.

“One thing he identified about the Hundred, he was astute enough to realise that it can be quite chaotic. So he found a way of getting us to find simplicity within the chaos, just with his messaging and his tactical awareness.

“He’s just a very well-rounded coach, and when you start to spend time with him you really get the feeling that you not only want to do well for yourself, but you want to do it for him as well.”

The appointment has also received praise from the other side of the world, with former New Zealand quick turned commentator Simon Doull telling Sky Sports the appointment was “fantastic”.

“Following on from Brendon, I think it is exactly what England need,” he said.

“Tactically, Fleming is incredibly sound. As a captain, he was the best I played under and was highly regarded around the world.

“I don’t think he has a coaching style as such, but he works incredibly well with whoever he’s got in his team, whether they are young or experienced players.”

Australian Test star Josh Hazlewood, who played under Fleming at CSK, also had nothing but praise for the New Zealander.

“With Flem it was such a relaxed atmosphere, similar to what we have here in Australia,” he told News Corp of his time at the Super Kings.

“He was very confident and relaxed. He let things run themselves but stepped in when required. He had a real authority about him. I think he is a good choice.’’

However, Fleming’s backdated start time, allowing him to spend time with his family for the rest of the year, has been more divisive.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan slammed the move to not step into the job immediately against Pakistan, citing the issues that could arise from Fleming only coaching one home Test before next year’s blockbuster Ashes series.

“It is not necessarily about winning the Pakistan series, it is more information gathering,” Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.

“It is about the small details, gaining experience of going to grounds such as Edgbaston – which hosts an Ashes Test – getting to know people involved in English cricket and fact-finding about our game by meeting the county coaches who can help him.

“These are the one-per-cent details England let slip during the Brendon McCullum years but are required to win major trophies.”

Vaughan also bemoaned an apparent loss of “allure” for the prestigious job evident in Fleming’s delayed appointment, saying it shows “a little bit of desperation” on the England and Wales Cricket board’s behalf.

Concern has also been raised over Fleming’s close personal connection with McCullum, dating back to mentoring the architect of Bazball during his early days in New Zealand’s Test team.

The two are close friends and even share business ventures together, such as a stake in QualityNZ, a Kiwi meat company that ships produce to India.

While Langer himself noted that England’s next Test coach would need to develop a rapport with McCullum, The Telegraph‘s cricket correspondent Will Macpherson said the hiring hinted at “rampant cronyism”.

“The new coach comes from the same culture as the one he is replacing. Indeed he helped shape McCullum. In these tricky circumstances, they could barely be more aligned,” Macpherson wrote.

“Their pairing provides the sense that cricket, especially in England, selects from a very small world.

“With a bevy of New Zealanders connected to McCullum in the backroom staff and [England managing director Rob] Key’s close relationship with Lions coach Andrew Flintoff, there have been accusations of cronyism and “jobs for the boys” in English cricket.

“This does little to dispel that theme.”

Criticism is also mounting of the call to return to Root as captain, with white-ball skipper Harry Brook snubbed amid concerns over recent off-field misdemeanours as well as a fear he could be overburdened by captaining all formats.

The veteran, who has enjoyed a stunning four-year run under Ben Stokes since resigning as captain in early 2022, filled in for Stokes during England’s second Test loss to New Zealand in June.

For Atherton, the “paucity of options” beyond Root is something Fleming must address as a matter of urgency.

“Root’s limitations were revealed in the Test against New Zealand at the Oval last month, when it didn’t take long for his usual equanimity to disappear,” he wrote.

“But needs must and Root was never likely to turn down the opportunity to help out.

“While Root’s appointment is not ideal, it is a better outcome than having Brook at the helm.

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Former England batter Mark Butcher was even stronger, saying the move is a “retrograde step”, and that Root should have served as Brook’s vice-captain to help guide him.

“Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum, Rob Key were the reaction to Joe Root’s captaincy the first time around,” Butcher told Sky Sports.

“This revolutionising of the way we play Test match cricket came off the back of 17 Test matches with only one victory under Joe.

“The best thing that happened to him and his game was not being captain any more. His batting since has been on a different level and I rather hoped it would stay that way, and he would be a loyal lieutenant to Harry Brook or whoever they decided was going to get the job on a permanent basis.”

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