Brendon McCullum in line to become England's Test coach - Reports
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum is reportedly set to take over as England's Test team coach. The former Kiwi cricketer has principally agreed to join the high-profile job.
Incidentally, the position was vacant after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sacked Chris Silverwood after an awful outing against West Indies earlier this year.
According to various reports, Brendon McCullum has emerged as a candidate to be England's new men's red-ball head coach.
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As per Cricbuzz, the ECB has already made a formal offer to McCullum, who is currently in India. Rob Key, the newly-appointed Managing Director of the men's team, has been in touch with the 40-year-old. An official announcement is likely to be made in a couple of days.
"We have nothing to say at this stage," an ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. "The recruitment process is ongoing. A decision is likely this week."
If the deal sees daylight, McCullum will be the second KKR coach after Trevor Bayliss to join the England men's team. Similar to Bayliss, the ECB has made a lucrative offer to the New Zealander.
The report also added that the Kiwi star has already informed the KKR management about his unavailability from next season.
However, McCullum is not keen on taking the white-ball job and the ECB will have to find a suitable candidate for the limited-overs role.
Brendon McCullum's first stint as head coach likely to be against New Zealand
He does not have first-class or Test coaching experience, and as ever his playing career may not translate to his coaching.
Whoever the head coach ends up being needs a much stronger set of technical coaches around them, and the selection process needs formalising & clarifying.
If McCullum agrees to the job, his first assignment as England head coach will be against New Zealand. Ben Stokes and Co. will host the Black Caps for a three-match Test series, starting June 2.
However, Brendon McCullum's arrival date is still not confirmed and it depends on how far the Kolkata Knight Riders go in IPL 2022. The league phase will conclude on May 22 and the Knight Riders are still in the race for a playoff berth. The mega final is scheduled to take place on May 29.