Former New Zealand captain and top-order batter Stephen Fleming is all set to become England’s new Test head coach. According to a report in The Telegraph on Wednesday (July 29), the former left-handed batter, who recently stepped down from his role as head coach of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will succeed Brendon McCullum.
McCullum, who was appointed as England’s Test head coach in May 2022, was sacked from the role earlier this month.
According to the Daily Mail, Fleming, who played 111 Tests for New Zealand between 1994 and 2008, edged out Richard Dawson and Jonathan Trott in the selection process for the top job.
Fleming is expected to take charge of England’s Test team from December 2026, when they tour the Rainbow
Nation for a three-match Test series.
Following McCullum’s exit as Test head coach, England will face Pakistan in a three-match Test series in August-September 2026. Former opening batter Marcus Trescothick is set to serve as England’s interim head coach for that assignment.
Fleming, who is New Zealand’s most successful Test captain, has never coached a national team but has vast experience coaching the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. He played for the Chennai-based franchise in the inaugural 2008 IPL season and served as its head coach from 2009 to 2026. He also worked as the head coach of Rising Pune Super Giants for two seasons (2016 and 2017), when CSK were suspended from the IPL.
Apart from CSK, Fleming has also served as the head coach of the franchise’s sister teams — Joburg Super Kings in SA20 and Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (MLC).
The New Zealander is well known to the English game as he has previously captained Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title and also represented Yorkshire during his playing days.
As a coach, he also took Southern Brave to the knockout stages of the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Men’s Hundred competition.
Fleming will become the fifth non-Englishman to coach England’s Test team, after Duncan Fletcher (1997-2000), Andy Flower (2009-2014), Trevor Bayliss (2015-2019), and Brendon McCullum (2022-2026).
