Now Reading: McCullum hails Fleming as ‘like me, but better’ after England Test coach switch
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McCullum hails Fleming as ‘like me, but better’ after England Test coach switch
McCullum hails Fleming as ‘like me, but better’ after England Test coach switch
Brendon McCullum has described his successor as England Test coach, Stephen Fleming, as 'like me, but better'. The ECB appointed the former New Zealand captain after sacking McCullum following a 2-1 home…
The Story in Brief
Brendon McCullum has described his successor as England Test coach, Stephen Fleming, as 'like me, but better'. The ECB appointed the former New Zealand captain after sacking McCullum following a 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand and a poor Ashes campaign. McCullum stays as limited-overs coach. Fleming, 53, led Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles.
Pacer Ollie Robinson said he had 'heard good things' about Fleming and called the change an 'exciting new era'. Robinson, aiming to return for the Pakistan series starting August 19, admitted the sudden departures of captain Ben Stokes and McCullum had left the dressing room shocked. He urged the side to target a 3-0 win and not use the transition as an excuse. Interim coach Marcus Trescothick will lead against Pakistan. Separately, Andrew Flintoff has quit as England Lions coach to take up the Sydney Thunder head coach role, with Mike Yardy taking charge for the Lions' match against Pakistan.
The Indian Opinion
The ECB's quick pivot from McCullum to Fleming has drawn predictable hero-worship from McCullum himself. But the real test is whether Fleming can fix what 'Bazball' failed to deliver: results. Ollie Robinson's admission that the team 'may have gone away from winning too much' is a rare honest note. The proof will be in the South Africa tour. Can Fleming bring the tactical edge McCullum lacked, or is this just another Kiwi with the same limitations?
Sources (3): sports.ndtv.com, thehansindia.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
