Fleming backs English successor as he begins England Test rebuild
England's new Test coach believes his successor should probably be English.
Stephen Fleming, a New Zealander appointed in July, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I do believe that primarily the national team should be coached by a national representative." He added that helping to develop English coaches will be a "priority" of his tenure, according to BBC Sport.
It is a striking line from an overseas appointment. Fleming succeeded fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum as Test coach, with McCullum staying on in charge of the white-ball sides. Fleming is the former New Zealand captain. He left Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings to take the England role.
Test cricket is the five-day format, the longest and slowest-burning version of the game. England's recent history in the job is heavily international. Since 1999, only two Englishmen, Peter Moores and Chris Silverwood, have led the Test side.
The rest of the list tells its own story. Zimbabwe's Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower, Australia's Trevor Bayliss, plus Ashley Giles and Australian Matthew Mott in the white-ball roles, have all had spells in charge. In the women's game, former Australia international Lisa Keightley was head coach between 2020 and 2023. Australian Leah Poulton will become managing director of England women, as announced in September. England men's selector Marcus North is also Australian.
Fleming knows English conditions well. He played county cricket for Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Middlesex. That domestic grind matters to him. He said he will spend part of next summer watching county cricket in the build-up to the home Ashes series, the historic England-Australia contest that still shapes every era.
For fans, this means patience. Fleming did not take charge for the series against Pakistan in August and September, which England won. His first series will be a three-match tour of South Africa in December and January. The squad is due to be named in the first week of November.
His backroom team is already set. It includes Marcus Trescothick, James Foster and Richard Dawson, as confirmed by the ECB. Trescothick was in interim charge of the Test team earlier this year. Jonathan Trott and Dawson were in the running before Fleming got the job. Trott is about to begin a spell in charge of England Lions, the development side just below the full team.
Fleming has set big targets. He said his goal is to beat the Aussies and take England to number one in the world. He also said restoring England's identity and standards would be as important as improving results. Kevin Pietersen has already held Ashes talks with him, a sign of how central that rivalry remains.
What makes this stand out is the honesty. An overseas coach, hired to win the Ashes, is openly saying the long-term answer should come from home.
