‘I’d be very surprised’: Dinesh Karthik doubts Andy Flower will leave RCB for England Test coach

RCB Head Coach Andy Flower (ANI Photo) Royal Challengers Bengaluru batsman and mentor Dinesh Karthik believes Andy Flower would be an excellent candidate to succeed Brendon McCullum as England’s Test head coach, but believes the Zimbabwean is unlikely to leave the IPL franchise due to his existing commitments.England are looking for a new Test coach after McCullum stepped down from the role following a disappointing run in red-ball cricket. While he will continue to oversee England’s white-ball teams, the Test side are looking for a new leader after the ‘baseball’ era ends.Flower, who previously led England to the top of the ICC Test rankings and their last Ashes triumph in Australia, has emerged as one of the names linked with the vacancy. However, Karthik feels that balancing England’s Test calendar with Flower’s commitments at RCB would be extremely difficult.“In all seriousness, I think he will be a great candidate,” Karthik said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.“He should certainly be one of the names being considered, but I would be very surprised if he took it, given where England are and also his busy schedule. He’s played a lot of leagues and I’m sure he hasn’t had the time. I read an article that said England would be happy to host the IPL and then the rest of Test cricket, but with the schedule as it is (when it’s first, Jacob won’t be). The Test, Jofra Archer not being available, sparked that fuss and a lot of people were saying, ‘Why isn’t one of the players there?'”Karthik also questioned whether England could accept their Test coach missing matches during the IPL, pointing to Flower’s commitment with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.“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? I hear there’s a Test match against Bangladesh next May, and if Andy Flower is doing as well for RCB, it could be a challenge.”Despite these concerns, Karthik had no doubts about Flower’s coaching credentials.“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 said.Flower joined RCB ahead of the 2024 IPL season on a three-year deal and has remained a key figure in the franchise’s coaching set-up. While he is one of the frontrunners to replace McCullum, Karthik believes the demands of international cricket and franchise commitments make such a move difficult to imagine.