New England Test coach Stephen Fleming says national side should ideally have local leader

Stephen Fleming believes England's Test team should ultimately be coached by an Englishman, even though the New Zealander is about to take charge of the side himself. Fleming was appointed England's new Test coach in July and will begin work with the team on their tour of South Africa in December. He said developing English coaches would be one of the priorities of his tenure, replacing Brendon McCullum while his predecessor continues to lead the white-ball teams. "I do believe that primarily the national team should be coached by a national representative," Fleming told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I'm grateful for the opportunity, but there will be some development in terms of the coaching, and you can see by our staff." England have had relatively few Englishmen in charge of their Test team in recent decades. Since 1999, Peter Moores has had two spells as coach, while Chris Silverwood was in the job from 2019 to 2022. The other Test coaches during that period have been Zimbabweans Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower, Australian Trevor Bayliss, and New Zealander Brendon McCullum. There is already a strong English presence in Fleming's coaching team. Former England opener Marcus Trescothick, who was in interim charge of the Test side earlier this year, has joined the staff along with former England wicketkeeper James Foster and former spinner Richard Dawson. Jonathan Trott will take charge of the England Lions, with both Trott and Dawson having been in the running for the Test job before Fleming was appointed. Fleming also plans to bring county coaches into the national set-up at various points, while giving former England players opportunities to work with the team. He plans to spend time watching county cricket next summer as England build towards the Ashes at home, addressing past criticisms that his predecessor spent a lack of time around the county game.

Context

National cricket boards often balance hiring experienced international coaches for immediate success with the long-term need to train local coaching talent. The county cricket structure serves as the primary breeding ground for both players and coaches in English cricket.