Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has opened up about rumors linking him with England’s vacant Test coaching job. The veteran coach said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already identified Brendon McCullum’s successor after his removal during the English summer.
Lehmann made the comments after leading Northamptonshire to a record-equalling third T20 Blast title at Edgbaston on Saturday, July 18. In the final match, Northants defeated Hampshire by 14 runs. They won the T20 Blast Trophy despite working with a much smaller budget than many of their domestic rivals.
They have already decided – Darren Lehmann on Brendon McCullum’s successor
Darren Lehmann, who recently extended his contract with Northamptonshire until 2029, said he will not return to international coaching due to a busy schedule and family commitments. He said that the ECB has already selected the option of Brendon McCullum.
“I’m not sure my wife wants me to spend 300 days [a year] Away again,” Lehman said. “I haven’t talked to him, so there’s no point worrying about it. For me, if they have got rid of Brendon McCullum, they have already taken the decision and got someone behind the scenes, because that’s how it works.”
The ECB announced Brendon McCullum’s departure on 12 July after England lost seven of their last nine Test matches. The team suffered a 4–1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a 2–1 home series defeat to New Zealand. However, McCullum will remain England’s white-ball coach.
He’s been world class for us – Darren Lehmann on David Willey
Darren Lehmann praised captain David Willey for his excellent leadership throughout the tournament. The head coach said the 36-year-old captain helped the team improve in every match and led the team brilliantly on the field.
“He’s been world-class for us,” Lehman said. “He has led the team extremely well. I can’t say enough about Dave and what he brings as a leader.”
“His attention to detail is second to none. The amount of phone calls I get from him – I call him, or he calls me – half the time is actually quite strange. For me, it’s quite refreshing that you have a captain who is driven to make his players better, and is also happy to make mistakes.”
“He’s one of the guys I would pick first on any team. I love the way he moves. He’s trying to get better; he’s not standing still like a 36-year-old… it takes some balls to get better. That’s something I’m really proud of [for]”
Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming among the contenders after Brendon McCullum’s exclusion
ECB’s search for a new Test coach faces initial setback Andy Flower has ruled himself out of the race.. Flower decided to continue his franchise coaching roles with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and London Spirit after brief talks with the board.
Other prominent candidates including former Australia coach Justin Langer and former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) coach Stephen Fleming will be in the race. Fleming recently resigned from his IPL coaching role and has expressed interest in the job if the ECB approaches him.
Jonathan Trott and Richard Dawson are among the names linked to the role. The ECB is expected to finalize the appointment before England begin their three-match Test series against Pakistan in late August.
