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The hunt for the next coach of the England men\u2019s Test team is being complicated by the need for the new appointee to work alongside the man he would be replacing, Brendon McCullum<\/a>, rather than taking full control of both red- and white-ball squads.<\/p>\n Some high-profile candidates have been unwilling to work within such a setup, either because they want full oversight over the senior men\u2019s teams or because of the unique challenge of working alongside the person who was sacked as Test coach earlier this month.<\/p>\n The issue is exacerbated by next year\u2019s schedule: though the Test side will be the focus of attention until the end of the Ashes in early August they would then take a backseat to the ODI team ahead of the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November. Even with the Ashes on the horizon the white-ball coach would be expected to argue that multi-format players, including the current white-ball captain, Harry Brook, should play the five-game ODI series against Pakistan that starts the international summer, while the Test coach would demand they concentrate on the one-off Test against Bangladesh that begins less than 48 hours after its conclusion.<\/p>\n As a result the process of appointing a new coach is taking longer than first hoped. Rob Key, the managing director of men\u2019s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket<\/a> Board, who is leading the recruitment process, was initially optimistic that someone would be in place before the three-match Test series against Pakistan that starts on 19 August. But the ECB is increasingly resigned to \u2013 and relaxed about \u2013 the process dragging on beyond that date. Once that series ends on 13 September there is a gap of 87 days before the team is next in action, when their tour of South Africa starts with a three-day game against a CSA Invitational XI in Durban, and sources say they are determined to pursue the best appointment rather than the quickest.<\/p>\n