Stephen Fleming has arrived in the United Kingdom to join England’s T20I squad in Manchester ahead of the Sri Lanka series. The former New Zealand captain will spend around two weeks building his backroom staff and working alongside white-ball coach Brendon McCullum during the series against Sri Lanka.
Fleming was appointed as McCullum’s successor in the Test setup in July but missed England’s recent 3-0 Test series win over Pakistan. During his current visit, the 53-year-old will meet Test captain Joe Root to review the series victory and start planning for England’s three-Test tour of South Africa in December.
Brendon McCullum and Stephen Fleming Address Multi-Format Workloads
Stephen Fleming has begun his transition into England’s Test setup. Workload management will be among the key issues he discusses with white-ball coach Brendon McCullum. Fleming arrived in the UK on Monday for a two-week visit and will join the T20I squad in Manchester.
Six members of England’s XI from the third Test against Pakistan travelled to Southampton less than 24 hours after the match ended. England also face a packed winter, with a tri-series in Pakistan, a white-ball tour of Australia and a three-Test series in South Africa.
McCullum said England need to manage player workloads carefully, with Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue already given scheduled rest during the opening T20Is. He also said Fleming’s arrival will require changes to England’s coaching structure.
“He was on the M1 this morning,” McCullum said of Fleming. “He was driving around the country making sure he catches up with a few people around the county scene and down at Loughborough as well and getting around trying to get his feet under the desk.
“He'll do that pretty quickly and join up with us in Manchester and we'll have a good chance to work through a few things.”
“The coaching structure with Flem coming in, split coaches, means we need more resources now, not less resource. So we're going to have to work through that for the next little while. Flem and I will catch up in the coming days and we'll start trying to piece all that together.”
Harry Brook Faces Busy Schedule Across Formats
Harry Brook is one of the players at the centre of England’s workload discussions. The Test vice-captain has also taken charge of the T20I side against Sri Lanka, despite selectors considering giving him a break before the upcoming ODI series.
Brook does not play overseas franchise cricket, but his international schedule remains demanding. During the 2025-26 winter, he played series in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, featured in the Ashes in Australia and then travelled to India for the T20 World Cup.
McCullum admitted that England had considered resting Brook before the three-match ODI series, which begins on September 22. However, the batter was keen to lead the T20I side against Sri Lanka.
“We thought about it,” McCullum said. “Yes, the schedule at times will need some massaging to make sure he's able to stay fresh. But for this series he was desperate to lead the boys out there.”
“In time we'll sit down, we'll work out times where the likes of Brooky and Jof and Tonguey and some of the other guys will need some times where they need to freshen up and we'll do that in the next little while,” McCullum added.
Aneurin Donald Set for England T20I Debut
England will hand Aneurin Donald his international debut in the opening T20I against Sri Lanka at the Utilita Bowl. The Derbyshire batter will become the first Glamorgan product to play for England since Simon Jones in 2005.
Donald will open alongside Jos Buttler after injuries ruled Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, and Sam Curran out of the series. The 29-year-old previously spent five years with Hampshire and has impressed for Derbyshire and in The Hundred.
McCullum believes Donald’s ability to attack from the first ball makes him a good fit at the top of England’s order.
“He is a cricketer who has been on our radar for a long time. His performances with Derby and also in the Hundred; he's got a game where he can go from ball one, which is probably quite similar to Salty,” McCullum said.
“He's got raw power. I watched him down at Chelmsford with the Lions the other day, he took 27 off Chameera's first over. Incredible amount of talent and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes on the big stage. It's great to be able to see him take that step up.”
Also read: “He thought I was joking” - Brendon McCullum reveals Kevin Pietersen’s reaction to England return
