5 Former cricketers who can replace Brendon McCullum as England red-ball head coach

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is on the hunt for a new head coach for the England Test team after Brendon McCullum was sacked by the board on July 13, 2026. McCullum, who will continue to lead England’s white-ball sides, has paid the price for the miserable Ashes in Australia during the winter and the tumultuous 2-1 series loss to New Zealand at the beginning of the Test summer.

With Pakistan scheduled to arrive for three Test matches starting on August 19, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would need to act swiftly to select a substitute. There is also a home Ashes series for England next year, and hence, England will have to find a new head coach sooner than later.

Here are the 5 former cricketers who can replace Brendon McCullum as England’s red-ball head coach:

5. Jonathan Trott

Jonathan Trott became famous for his coaching work during his tenure with the Afghanistan side. Despite not being able to visit the country during his coaching tenure, Trott made Afghanistan a formidable force in T20I cricket, and even in ODI cricket, the Afghan Atalans have troubled the best, as evident from their performance in the 2023 World Cup in India.

Trott took Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, given that Trott excelled as a player in Test cricket with 3,835 runs in 52 Tests with 9 centuries at an average of 44.085, he will be best suited for England’s Test team head coach role.

4. Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Fintoff was England’s best all-rounder after Ian Botham and before Ben Stokes, with 3845 runs and 226 wickets in 79 Tests before his knees ended his career prematurely. After surviving a near-fatal car crash, Flintoff dipped his toes in the world of boxing before settling in the role of a cricket coach.

He has guided the England Lions and has been in part-time coaching roles with the England senior team as well. Additionally, Flintoff and ECB Managing Director Rob Key get along well, which could help him. But he has very little full-time head coaching experience at this level. His application to be England’s Test coach may possibly be hampered by his position as head coach of the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.

3. Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings announced their parting of ways with their head coach of 18 years, Stephen Fleming, on July 13, 2026. The timing of this announcement was very interesting, as it was also when Brendon McCullum’s sacking as England Test coach was announced by the ECB.

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has a wealth of experience with various Super Kings franchises across T20 leagues. He also played extensive cricket in the English country circuit for Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and Middlesex and expects Fleming to be a good fit as England team head coach.

2. Mike Hesson

Former New Zealand head coach and coach of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mike Hesson, is also a possible candidate for the England head coach role. Currently the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan team, Hesson has led New Zealand to new heights, including taking the BlackCaps to the final of the 2015 World Cup.

Hesson has extensive experience in coaching, despite not playing top-tier cricket, and has a very good resume to boast of. He will be best suited for the coaching job if the England board is looking for a proper coach and not an ex-cricketer who can be a coach.

1. Justin Langer

Former Australia opener Justin Langer had a storied career for the Kangaroos, having made 7,696 runs in 105 Tests with 23 centuries at an average of 45.27 and a best score of 250. After retirement from the game, Langer got into coaching jobs and became the assistant Australia Test team coach in 2009.

He graduated to full-time head coach in 2018, and Australia won the 2021 T20 World Cup under his guidance. Australia also reached the semis of the 2018 World Cup. He is currently the head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants IPL franchise. Langer will be a good choice for head coach if England wants to reset the team completely, given the recent controversies about their discipline.