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Stephen Fleming is expected to be named as England\u2019s Test coach, after impressing the England and Wales Cricket Board in a series of interviews over the past two weeks. The 53-year-old would work alongside his predecessor, compatriot, former teammate and friend Brendon McCullum<\/a>, who remains in charge of the white-ball teams.<\/p>\n Fleming stood down as head coach of the Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings \u2013 as well as their subsidiaries Joburg Super Kings in South Africa\u2019s SA20 and Texas Super Kings in America\u2019s Major League Cricket \u2013 this month. That announcement was made after CSK finished eighth out of 10 teams in this year\u2019s IPL, following on from a last-place finish in 2025, but also less than 24 hours after McCullum was sacked by the ECB<\/a> as Test coach.<\/p>\n It is expected Fleming will be in place for the tour of South Africa starting in December, but the three-Test series against Pakistan that begins at Headingley on 19 August may still be overseen by an interim, probably Marcus Trescothick.<\/p>\n Fleming has extensive experience of English cricket, not just from playing 10 Tests and 17 ODIs in this country between 1994 and 2004, but also from spells at Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. He also coached Southern Brave in the Hundred for two years, leaving in 2024.<\/p>\n He was approached by England in 2009, shortly after he retired as a player, only to turn them down. \u201cI was flattered to be offered,\u201d he said. \u201cIt came down to the fact it wasn\u2019t my time. If I get another couple of years [as a coach] I can see if it is what I want to do and if I would be any good at it.\u201d<\/p>\n England ended up turning to Andy Flower, who, having been the early frontrunner<\/a> to replace McCullum, has now returned the favour by rejecting the job<\/a> and opening the door for Fleming\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n Fleming\u2019s relationship with McCullum gave him an advantage over his rivals for the England job, the Australian Tom Moody, the former England batter and Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott and Richard Dawson, the head coach at Glamorgan.<\/p>\n