Dinesh Karthik, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach, shared his views on whether RCB head coach and ex-Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower would leave the franchise if he is offered the England Test team head coach job.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently sacked Brendon McCullum as the Test team head coach, days after captain Ben Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket.
McCullum would remain the head coach of England's white-ball teams, but his three-year tenure as the Test team coach has come to an end. This was after England lost the home Test series to New Zealand 1-2.
Karthik, who is part of the RCB coaching staff under Flower, stated that he’ll be ‘very surprised’ if head coach Andy Flower leaves the franchise to join the England men’s Test set-up. He said it would be challenging to implement even a deal that would allow Flower to head both England and the IPL team.
Andy Flower has coached England before and led them to their last Ashes Series win in Australia and also to the no. 1 spot in the ICC Test team rankings, 15 years ago.
The English media has mentioned his disciplinarian mentality and contemporary coaching style as appealing prospects. Furthermore, according to information that is accessible to the public, Flower's 2024 three-year deal with RCB has expired.
But Karthik also mentioned a "pre-signed contract with RCB," which would make things even more challenging for England.
“In all seriousness, I think he’ll be a great candidate. He definitely should be one of the names thought of, but I would be very surprised if he took it, considering where England are and his packed schedule as well. He used to do a lot of leagues, and I’m sure that he didn’t have time.
I read an article which said that England will be happy to accommodate IPL and then the rest of Test cricket, but with the schedule being the way it is, [it’ll be very difficult]. Like, when Jacob Bethel didn’t come in for the first Test, Jofra Archer not being available, it kicked up a fuss, and there were plenty of people saying, ‘Why? How come one of the players is not there?” Karthik said on Sky Sports.
Even the English will struggle to justify their Test head coach missing games due to the IPL, according to Karthik.
“With Andy Flower, with an already pre-signed contract with RCB, which would mean that he would miss parts of all those [Tests]. Will it be okay for England in the preparation for the Ashes if they don’t have a coach for a Test match or two? I heard there’s a Test match against Bangladesh in May next year, and if Andy Flower is doing RCB, that could be a challenge as well. Is he good? Definitely. He is probably one of the best in the world, if not the best. Will he have time? That’s the question. I would be very surprised if the answer is a yes," he said.
