According to a number of British sources, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is in the running to take over as the England cricket team’s test coach.
Chris Silverwood left the role vacant in February in the aftermath of their 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, with Paul Collingwood taking over as the caretaker.
The England and Wales Cricket Board then invited applications separately for the posts of Test and limited-overs international coaches, an idea that was backed up by limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan.
The reports also stated that the 40-year-old Brendon McCullum, currently in charge of Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders, was keen on taking the job and that an announcement was expected this week
Former South African head coach Gary Kirsten has been linked with the role, while Collingwood was also considered a candidate.
His appointment may be peculiar to some as McCullum may have been seen as a better fit for the white-ball role given his aggressive nature with the bat.
McCullum however did play 101 tests for his country.
In his final game at Christchurch in February 2016 against Australia, he hit the fastest century in the format (54 balls), finishing his career with 6,453 runs including 12 tons and 31 half-centuries.
Two separate coaches for different formats is an experiment that has not been practiced before in international cricket.
But it seems to be the ideal time for England to try something new and kickstart their quest to regain their reputation that has recently taken a hit both domestically and internationally.
Rob Key was appointed in the role of Managing Director and England last month unveiled New Zealand-born Ben Stokes as their new test captain, hoping for a swift turnaround under the talismanic all-rounder after a tame end to Joe Root’s five years in charge.
