The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is looking for a new Test head coach after Brendon McCullum parted ways and former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes Andy Flower is the best candidate, but the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) job is a big hurdle.
Karthik said that former England coach Andy Flower is one of the best coaches in the world and he has all the qualities required to lead the England Test team.
But he is not sure whether Flowers can really accept such a demanding role due to his busy coaching commitments around the world. Meanwhile, Jacob Bethel will open as England announce playing XI for 1st ODI vs India; Tom Banton was dropped.
Dinesh Karthik chooses Andy Flower for England job
During a discussion with Nasser Hussain on his podcast, Dinesh Karthik said that Andy Flower should definitely be one of the candidates being considered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
However, Karthik admitted that he would be surprised if Flower agreed to take up the position as his calendar is already packed with franchise cricket.
Dinesh Karthik said in his social media video, “Actually now, in all seriousness, I think he would be a great candidate. But I would be very surprised if he took it, given where England are and also his busy schedule. He used to do a lot of league, and I’m sure he didn’t have time.”
Dinesh Karthik says RCB contract is biggest hurdle for Andy Flower to land England role
The commentator further added that Flower is currently involved in various T20 leagues and also has a coaching contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. Karthik believes that despite the ECB indicating that they are ready to allow coaches to jointly do the IPL along with Test coaching, it is almost not possible to manage both the roles simultaneously.
Explaining his point, Karthik recalled how England faced criticism just a few months ago when Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethel missed the Test matches against New Zealand due to IPL 2026 commitments. Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum blamed the poor results against India and Australia for his omission from the Test team.
Karthik warns that England may face IPL vs international cricket problem again
Therefore, the RCB mentor fears that a similar issue may arise if Flower becomes England’s Test coach. Since he is already committed to RCB, there could be situations where he has to miss some Test matches during England preparations or even the IPL season.
Karthik further added, “With Andy Flower, obviously he will already have a pre-signed contract with RCB, which would mean he would miss parts of all of them. How would that happen? Would it be okay for England in the preparation for the Ashes if they don’t have a coach for one or two Test matches? I heard there is a Test match against Bangladesh in May next year. And if Andy was doing RCB, that could be a challenge too.”
Dinesh Karthik calls Andy Flower one of the best coaches in the world
Yet Karthik made it clear that the former Zimbabwe captain is one of the best coaches in the world and if both sides – he and the ECB – can find a way to manage the scheduling conflicts, he would be a great choice.
He concluded by saying, “Is he good? He’s probably one of the best in the world. Will he have time? That’s the question. I would be very surprised if the answer was yes. But if they get a good partnership as soon as everything is settled, why not?”
RCB coach Andy Flower rejects England? Dinesh Karthik gave a big hint
: When Nasser Hussain asked if Andy Flower could become England’s Test coach.
Dinesh Karthik called him one of the best coaches in the world and a strong candidate.
– However, he believes… pic.twitter.com/WVsKfPpzoW
– Sam (@cricsam02) July 13, 2026
