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The removal of Brendon McCullum as England’s Test head coach has created buzz on social media platforms. Only a few hours after the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) official announcement of dismissing the former New Zealand captain from the position of the Test team, there are multiple claims on social media platforms suggesting England’s next possible coach for the longest format of the game.
In a shocking report, it is claimed that the former Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is in line to fill the void in England’s Test team. It is strongly said that Ashwin could be the next coach of the national cricket team.
Ravichandran Ashwin is yet to take over fresh responsibilities
After retiring from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in August 2025, Ravichandran Ashwin has mostly remained out of action. He was about to make his debut in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) in the previous season, but he had to postpone the plan due to a knee injury.
Ravichandran Ashwin appeared in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC), but was ruled out of the entire tournament because of a knee injury only after delivering a couple of overs. Ashwin retired from the Indian Premier League intending to explore other franchise leagues across the globe. Due to injuries, most of the time he remains on the sidelines.
Currently, Ravichandran Ashwin is mostly seen during online conversations, discussing various cricket-related topics. If the recent claims are to be believed, then the former Team India spinner could start a new journey on the cricket ground. This time not as a player, but he could make his debut as a coach.
Who will become England's head coach?
According to the ‘X’ post, when Ashwin was in the United States recently, he had talks with the ECB officials regarding the England Test team job.
“There have been talks for some time regarding England's red ball job & Ashwin could well be in line. Sources say some meetings also happened in the US recently,” the ‘X’ post reads.
EXCLUSIVE: THE NEW ENGLAND TEST COACH ⏳
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 12, 2026
- There have been talks for some time regarding England's red ball job & Ravichandran Ashwin could well be in line. Sources say some meetings also happened in the US recently. pic.twitter.com/bK6Zd1jIkR
Andy Flower is also among the speculated names who could be England's next head coach for Tests
Despite the strong as well as the surprising claim, according to the UK’s local media reports, the England cricket governing body is all set to appoint Andy Flower as their next coach for the Test format.
Andy Flower served with the England national cricket team in the past, with success. Under his guidance, the team captured the top position in the Test team rankings. The experienced coach led the team to three Ashes wins and some crucial wins against India as well. Flower's first stint as the England head coach was from 2009 to 2014.
The Ashes between England and Australia is one of the most celebrated rivalries across the cricket-playing nations, and the result of the series means a lot for both of the nations. Brendon McCullum’s England Test cricket team suffered a brutal 1-4 defeat in the previous season of the Ashes in Australia, which became one of the main issues behind McCullum’s future with the team. However, he remains the coach for the ODI and T20I formats.
