Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming is expected to be appointed as England Test coach after the sacking of Brendon McCullum.

McCullum was fired earlier this month following a string of poor results and several off-field incidents, but remains in charge of England’s white-ball sides.

Former England coach Andy Flower subsequently ruled himself out of the running to replace McCullum.

As first reported by the Telegraph,, external Fleming, 53, has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed his former international team-mate.

If appointed, Fleming will have a say – alongside director of men’s cricket Rob Key and national selector Marcus North – in the appointment of a new Test captain, following the shock retirement of Ben Stokes from international cricket in June.

Fleming would inherit a side that saw its momentum falter after a breathtaking start to the McCullum era.

McCullum won 10 out of 12 Tests in his first year in charge but since then, England have lost 18 and won 17 of 37 Tests.

They have not won a multi-match series since December 2024.

It is unclear whether Fleming would be in position to lead England in the three-Test series against Pakistan, which gets under way at Headingley on 19 August, or if an interim figure will take charge.

In addition to Flower, former Australian head coach Justin Langer was also expected to be a top contender for the England role.

However, on a recent appearance on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Langer said he had not been contacted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Former England batter Jonathan Trott, Richard Dawson, Gareth Batty and Australians Tom Moody, Darren Lehmann and Ryan Campbell were among the other names linked to the role.

The decision to remove McCullum came after the ECB hierarchy spent time reflecting on the situation surrounding the men’s team, with the 4-1 Ashes hammering in Australia followed by a 2-1 home series defeat by New Zealand, including Stokes announcing his retirement during play in the third Test.

Former England and Kent batter Key was backed to retain his position following the Ashes and defeat by New Zealand. Key and a headhunting company conducted interviews with potential candidates.

Unlike many of McCullum’s other potential successors, Fleming has never previously worked as head coach of a national team.

However, since retiring from playing in 2009, he has been in demand on the franchise circuit, most notably enjoying a 17-year tenure as head coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings.

Fleming led CSK to five IPL titles from nine finals and two Champions League T20 crowns, as well as taking the helm at sister sides Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket and Joburg Super Kings in SA20.

The 53-year-old also spent two seasons in charge of Southern Brave in The Hundred, reaching the final in 2024.

No stranger to Test cricket, he made 111 appearances for New Zealand, scoring over 7,000 runs at 40.06, and remains the Black Caps’ most successful captain with 28 wins from 80 matches.

Nor is he a stranger to the county game having spent time with Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire – where he won the County Championship in 2005.