Justin Langer is believed to have moved to the top of the England and Wales Cricket Board's shortlist of potential coaches of the men's Test team, after Andy Flower ruled himself out of the running for the position on Friday.
Less than a week after Brendon McCullum was sacked as red-ball coach, Rob Key, the managing director of men's cricket who is leading the ECB's recruitment process, has made significant progress in his search for a replacement.
Langer's Unlikely Candidacy
Langer, the former Australia opener and coach, is in many ways an unlikely candidate for the England job: when it was last available in 2022, soon after he was forced out of the same role with Australia, he dismissed the idea out of hand: "I've never spoken to English cricket," he said. "The thought of coaching England … mate!"
Flower's Achievements and Withdrawal
Flower took England to the world No 1 ranking and won the Ashes three times while he was head coach between 2009 and 2014. With the team currently ranked fifth in Tests, and having won the Ashes once since 2013, none of the last five series and with an away record against their greatest rivals of one win and 17 defeats in 20 games since Flower led them to victory in Australia in 2010-11, the ECB can only dream of such achievements in the blue-riband format.
But Flower is now coaching London Spirit in the Hundred – having replaced Langer in that role – as well as Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with whom he won the Indian Premier League in May, and does not consider it feasible to combine them with an international coaching job. He had a number of conversations with figures at the ECB this week, including with Key, but has informed them that he is not interested in the job at present.
Flower's Statement
"The bottom line for me is that I'm very happy in the work that I am doing at the moment," Flower said. "I work for a couple of really good organisations. I've got really good teams around me, and I'm really comfortable with what I'm doing. I've worked with England before, I had an amazing time when I had the privilege to represent England as one of their leaders, and I remember those years really fondly. It would be a privilege for me or anyone else to be the Test coach. But for me at this time, I'm really comfortable with what I'm doing and I'm going to stick with that."
Other Candidates and Langer's Dilemma
Stephen Fleming, another potential candidate after leaving his role with Chennai Super Kings this week, says he has not had contact with England but told the New Zealand Herald: "I'd 100% give it some consideration, just out of respect. If another country thought you could add some value, it's quite a compliment."
Langer, meanwhile, has been coach of the IPL side Lucknow Super Giants since taking over from Flower in 2023 and is also in charge of Manchester Super Giants in the Hundred. If approached he would face a similar quandary – between rejecting the England job, leaving Lucknow and Manchester or attempting to combine the roles – to the one the Zimbabwean settled in favour of his franchise.
Flower on Combining Roles
"I can't speak for other people and it wouldn't be right for me to speak for the ECB, obviously, they'll have to make their own judgments," Flower said. "For me personally, I don't think I could have done both. Especially with the IPL being held during the first couple of months of the English summer. If I was England's Test coach I'd like to be here, watching and interacting with the people I need to watch and interact with. So for me, that wasn't a possibility. Obviously there will be lots of debate over who might do the head coach role, but I won't be part of that debate."
The former England batter Jonny Bairstow, who made his international debut under Flower in 2011, is now working with him again at London Spirit. "He's someone I've got the utmost respect for, from when he played the game but also from when he coached with England," Bairstow said. "If he's ruled himself out that's a big loss for English cricket. He's someone that would have done a fine job, I'm sure, if it was for him."
