England are expected to appoint former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming as their new Test head coach, following the sacking of Brendon McCullum earlier this month. McCullum was dismissed after a run of poor results and off-field incidents, though he remains in charge of England's white-ball sides. The appointment matters because whoever takes over inherits a side whose form has dipped sharply since the exciting early days of the "Bazball" era, and the new coach will also help choose a Test captain following Ben Stokes's shock retirement from international cricket.

Fleming, 53, has emerged as the leading candidate after former England coach Andy Flower ruled himself out, with reported contender Justin Langer saying he had not been approached by the ECB. McCullum won 10 of his first 12 Tests in charge, but England have since won just 17 of 37 and have not claimed a multi-match series since December 2024. It remains unclear whether Fleming, alongside director of men's cricket Rob Key and national selector Marcus North, would be in place in time for the three-Test series against Pakistan starting at Headingley on 19 August, or whether an interim coach will be needed. Other names linked to the role include Jonathan Trott, Richard Dawson, Gareth Batty, Tom Moody, Darren Lehmann and Ryan Campbell.