Stephen Fleming is in line to become the new head coach of the England Men's Test cricket team, following the sacking of fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum. Fleming, 53, is regarded as a astute strategist, having previously captained New Zealand in 111 Test matches and led the team to 28 victories. He has also had a successful coaching career, most notably with the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, where he won five titles.
The decision comes after England's series defeat to New Zealand at Trent Bridge, which marked over a year without a series win. This result prompted a review by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hierarchy. The ECB has declined to comment on the reports. Fleming reportedly emerged as the preferred candidate over Englishmen Richard Dawson and Jonathan Trott.
One of Fleming's initial responsibilities will be to appoint a successor to Ben Stokes as England captain. Stokes recently retired from international cricket. Joe Root had previously stepped in as captain during Stokes' suspension for a Test match and was reportedly considered for a captaincy role alongside McCullum.
There has also been discussion regarding the captaincy of the limited-overs teams. Harry Brook, who has captained England in limited-overs formats for 15 months and achieved success, has expressed that it would be a privilege to lead England in all three formats of the game. Brook was previously considered to avoid overburdening him, but his successful captaincy in shorter formats has put him forward as a potential candidate.
