New Zealander Stephen Fleming, England’s new Test coach, has suggested the national team should be led by someone from England.
Fleming, who will take charge of his first series in South Africa in December, is the latest overseas coach to lead the England men’s team.
Since 1999, only two Englishmen – Peter Moores (twice) and Chris Silverwood – have been in charge of the Test side, while Ashley Giles had a spell as white-ball coach.
In the same time period England have been led by two Zimbabweans, in Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower, and Australian Trevor Bayliss – while Fleming has succeeded his fellow Kiwi Brendon McCullum, who remains white-ball coach. Another Australian, Matthew Mott, also had time in charge of the white-ball team.
Fleming’s backroom team, announced last week, is heavily weighted towards homegrown coaches.
Former England opener Marcus Trescothick, who was in interim charge of the Test team earlier this year, is joined by ex-England wicketkeeper James Foster and former spinner Richard Dawson.
Jonathan Trott, an Ashes winner with England, is about to begin a spell in charge of England Lions. Both Trott and Dawson were in the running for the Test job before Fleming was appointed.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former New Zealand captain Fleming said it will be a “priority” of his tenure to help develop English coaches.
“I do believe that primarily the national team should be coached by a national representative,” said Fleming.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity, but there will be some development in terms of the coaching, and you can see by our staff.”
As well as Fleming and McCullum filling the head coach roles for the men’s national teams, England’s selector, Marcus North, is Australian.
In September it was announced that another Australian, Leah Poulton, will become the managing director of England women. Between 2020 and 2023 England women’s head coach was Lisa Keightley, the former Australia international.
In addition to developing the coaches on his own staff, Fleming said he will also occasionally invite county coaches and former England players into the set-up.
“There are some really key people who have come back into the system and I’m really pleased about that,” he said.
“I look forward to working with them, but it is a real focus and it’s an ambition as well that you will also get county coaches who will be introduced at certain times and you will get past players that will be asked to come back as well.
“It’s really inclusive and a comfortable nature of using what’s around, but also driving what should be driven within the county game and the English game.”
