Brendon McCullum is the latest big name England are reportedly considering to coach their white ball side.
England's new Managing Director of Men's cricket Rob Key has decided to split the head coach role, with the ECB formally advertising for separate red and white ball coaches. And, according to a report from the Daily Mail, McCullum has been 'added to their wishlist'.
McCullum currently works as head coach of Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and previously coached Trinbago Knight Riders to the 2020 Caribbean Premier League title. He also boasts a legendary playing career, having helped revolutionised New Zealand after being appointed captain in 2012.
The 40-year-old is also close friends with England white ball captain Eoin Morgan, having been master of ceremonies at his wedding. Morgan's own captaincy has also been greatly influenced by the way McCullum led New Zealand.
"We are close mates," Morgan said of McCullum in 2019. "He's taught me a lot about leadership. He proved you can get to the highest level by being yourselves."
Key has also said he will consult Morgan about any appointments he makes, saying: "Eoin is someone I would speak to about so many different things, and in terms of white-ball cricket he’s on top of all that.
"He knows what he wants and he knows a lot of the coaches around, so he is one of the first ports of call for that." The report also states that former South Africa and India head coach Gary Kirsten has been 'sounded out specifically about the Test role'.
Kirsten is thought to be one of the frontrunners for the job, alongside ex-Australia opener Simon Katich, having publicly declared his interest during the Ashes. He told iNews : "Listen, it [the England job] is always a consideration because it’s a tremendous honour.
"I've walked this journey twice now and I've always made it clear that I would never commit to doing all formats. And when international cricket boards get their head around the fact that they need to split coaching roles, then it becomes a consideration.
"Your Test side has battled for a while but it would be a really lovely project to get that going. It [England] is an interesting one. I think it's a great project for someone to come in and take that Test side on. There's a lot that needs to be put in place to build this Test team out."
