RCB coach Andy Flower not leaving IPL to join England Test team: Dinesh Karthik

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes Andy Flower would be an excellent choice to replace Brendon McCullum as England’s Test coach, but feels it is highly unlikely that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach will leave his IPL commitments.

Flower emerged as one of the early favorites for the role after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) parted ways with McCullum following a disappointing run in Test cricket. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has publicly backed Flower’s return, arguing that England need the meticulous attention to detail that defined his previous spell.

However, Karthik, who worked closely with Flower during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 winning campaign, feels that Zimbabwe’s busy coaching calendar makes such a move difficult.

“In all seriousness, I think he will be a great candidate,” Karthik said on Sky Sports.

“He should certainly be one of the names being considered but I would be very surprised if he takes it given where England are and also his busy schedule.”

Pointing out that Flower has built his coaching career on franchise cricket over the last few years, Karthik questioned whether England could realistically accommodate his existing commitments, especially with the IPL overlapping with parts of the international calendar.

“I read an article that said England are happy to accommodate the IPL and then the rest of the Test cricket, but with the schedule the way it is… when Jacob Bethell didn’t come for the first Test, Jofra Archer wasn’t available, it caused a stir and a lot of people were saying, ‘Why? How come one of the players isn’t there?'”

WHY CAN’T ANDY FLOWER LEAVE RCB?

Karthik said Flower’s existing contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru could become a major stumbling block if England decided to pursue him.

“With Andy Flower, already pre-signed with RCB, that would mean he would miss parts of all those (Tests). Will it be OK for England in the build-up to the Ashes if they don’t have a coach for a Test match or two?” Karthik said.

“I heard there is a Test match against Bangladesh in May next year and if Andy Flower is doing RCB, that might be a challenge too.

While Karthik had no doubts about Flower’s credentials, he doubted whether the logistics would allow the former England coach to take on the role.

“Is he good? Absolutely. He’s probably one of the best in the world, if not the best. Will he have time? That’s the question. I’d be very surprised if the answer was yes,” he added.

ENGLAND GREATS WANT ANDY FLOWER

McCullum was sacked from his role as Test coach after England’s form dipped over the past year. After winning 11 of their first 13 Tests after taking over in 2022, England have lost eight of their last 12 matches, including a heavy 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia that prompted the ECB to end the Baseball Era.

Nasser Hussain has since urged chief executive Rob Key to turn to Flower, who led England to three Ashes series victories and the No.1 ranking in the ICC Test rankings between 2009 and 2014.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould confirmed that no formal approach had yet been made to any candidate, with the board expected to begin the recruitment process in the coming weeks. Gould also indicated that England would be willing to appoint a coach to continue working in franchise cricket if it meant securing the best man for the job.

Despite this flexibility, Karthik believes balancing the demands of the England Test team and a long-term IPL commitment with RCB would be extremely difficult, making Flower’s return to the England dressing room an unlikely prospect.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

13 Jul 2026 21:45 IST