Reports: Brendon McCullum likely to be named England's Test head coach

Former New Zealand cricketer and captain Brendon McCullum is set to become England’s new Test head coach role. The legendary cricketer is believed to have agreed with the ECB and the announcement is expected to happen shortly, as reports suggest. McCullum played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s growth across all formats and is a right fit for the vacant role at the ECB.

ECB had recently named Ben Stokes as the red-ball captain and the management had been in search of Chris Silverwood’s replacement. ECB Managing Director Rob Key was keen on splitting the coach duties between the red-ball and white-ball formats, as well as reinstalling an independent selector, with dismissed head coach Chris Silverwood largely seen to have been overworked by doing all three tasks.

According to Cricbuzz, the ECB has already made a formal offer after discussions began a few days ago, and an announcement is likely in the coming days. McCullum, who is in India as the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise in the Indian Premier League, has been in contact with Rob Key for some time now.

Earlier McCullum was favourite to take up white-ball coaching

Earlier, reports had suggested that McCullum was the frontrunner for the white-ball role because of his experience in the franchise and league cricket. But the New Zealander, having played 101 Test matches in his career, is said to be inclined towards the red-ball role. Once the deal is finalized, his first assignment would be against his countrymen as England’s schedule begins with the New Zealand series in June.

Even after his confirmation, his joining date would not be confirmed because of his stint at the IPL 2022. The Kolkata Knight Riders are at such a stage where one cannot tell what the future holds for them. They may or may not qualify for the playoffs, but if they do, then McCullum’s stay in India will be extended. The league stage concludes on May 22, the day when IPL will get the top four teams that will fight for the championship.