Justin Langer frontrunner for England coach job; Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid out of race | Cricket News
TimesofIndia.com in London: Former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer emerged as the leading contender to be England’s next Test head coach thereafter Brendon McCullum was fired from the paper last week.Langer is understood to be at the top of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) shortlist. However, it remains to be seen how his commitments to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred will pan out. Strong indications suggest that Langer may part ways with LSG and discussions with the ECB will take place in the coming days.TimesofIndia.com also understands that former Indian head coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid not in contention for the role. While the two highly respected figures were quickly linked to the vacancy, neither is part of the ECB’s current recruitment process.The ECB is aiming to appoint a new coach before England’s home Test series against Pakistan starts next month, with Langer firmly in pole position if contractual hurdles are resolved.Earlier, Andy Flower, who is currently coaching London Spirit in The Hundred and guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to back-to-back IPL titles, kept himself out of the race.Langer took over as Lucknow Super Giants head coach in 2023 after succeeding Flower. He also coached Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred. If approached by the ECB, he will have to decide whether to accept the England role and abandon his franchise commitments, remain exclusive to franchise cricket, or try to balance both responsibilities. Flower faced a similar choice and chose to continue in franchise cricket.McCullum ended his tenure as England’s Test coach with a record of 27 wins, two draws and 20 losses. England’s form dipped significantly towards the end of his stint, with the team losing seven of the last nine Tests. His tenure both began and ended with a home series against his native New Zealand. It began with a commanding 3-0 sweep in 2022 and ended with a series loss last month.“I really enjoyed coaching the Test side and I’m proud of what we achieved together,” McCullum said after being dropped.“There have been some incredible highs and some tough days along the way, but that’s all part of taking on a challenge like this. It’s a privilege and an honor, and I’m grateful. Grateful to the players, staff and fans who have supported us on the journey.“I wish the Test team nothing but success. There’s a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they’re a special bunch of lads. I’ll always be rooting for the boys, with a smile on my face, and hope they keep playing the game. I know they’ll keep making people proud.”
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