Andy Flower ruled out of England role, will continue with RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Andy Flower has ruled himself out of contention for the England Test coaching vacancy, ending speculation of a return to the national team following the departure of Brendon McCullum.

Flower, who was widely seen as the England and Wales Cricket Board’s frontrunner to replace McCullum, said he was happy with his current coaching commitments and had no plans to leave the IPL franchise.

“The bottom line for me is that I’m very happy in the job that I’m doing at the moment,” Flower said. “I’m really happy with what I’m doing. I have (ruled myself out), yes,” he told The Telegraph.

The decision comes as another setback for the ECB, which has been forced into a major overhaul following Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket and McCullum’s departure as Test coach following England’s 2-1 home series defeat to New Zealand.

WHY WAS MCCULLUM FIRED?

McCullum’s four-year spell in charge of the Test side ended on 12 July, bringing the curtain down on an era of baseball that changed England’s approach to red-ball cricket. Although the ECB claimed McCullum had stepped down, the former New Zealand captain suggested he had been recalled, saying he respected the board’s decision. However, he will continue as England’s white-ball coach.

Flower has emerged as a trailblazer with his previous successful stint in England. Under his leadership, England rose to the top of the ICC Test rankings and famously reclaimed the Ashes in Australia during the 2010-11 tour.

Instead, the Zimbabwean will continue his work with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he oversaw the revival of the franchise in recent IPL seasons.

WHO ELSE CAN COACH ENGLAD?

With Flower no longer in the running, England’s search for a new Test coach will widen. Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, whose long association with Chennai Super Kings ended earlier this week, has emerged as a potential candidate, although it remains unclear whether he would be interested in the role.

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara and Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson are also among the names being considered.

England are now looking for a new leader to take control of the Test side as they prepare for next summer’s Ashes, marking the start of a new chapter after the end of the Stokes-McCullum partnership that reshaped English Test cricket.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

17 Jul 2026 17:24 IST