England Cricket: Talk of Ravi Shastri-Rahul Dravid is not done, now these names are at the forefront in the race for England’s new Test coach.

New Delhi. After the departure of Brendon McCullum, the England cricket team is looking for a new Test coach. The names of former Indian head coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid were also discussed for this high-profile post, but now the picture seems to be almost clear. According to the latest reports, former Australian opening batsman and coach Justin Langer is at the forefront of this race. If all the contract related hurdles are resolved then the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can start formal talks with them in the next few days.

Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid out of the race
The names of Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid had also come up in the race for the new Test coach of England, but according to reports, both are not part of the current selection process of ECB. Both the Indian legends have an excellent record in international coaching, but at present the England board seems to be moving on some other option.

Justin Langer is ECB’s first choice
According to reports, the England and Wales Cricket Board has placed Justin Langer at the top of the list of possible candidates. The board wants the appointment of the new head coach to be completed before the home Test series against Pakistan starting next month. However, the biggest challenge before Langer is his current franchise responsibilities. He is the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), while he is also associated with Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred.

Langer may leave LSG
According to sources, if a formal proposal comes from the ECB, Justin Langer may consider leaving Lucknow Super Giants. There is a possibility of talks between the two sides in the next few days. Langer will have three options – accepting the responsibility of England, continuing only in franchise cricket or trying to strike a balance between the two roles.

Andy Flower has already denied
Former England coach Andy Flower, who is currently the coach of London Spirit in The Hundred and has recently led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to two consecutive IPL titles, has already distanced himself from the race for the post. Interestingly, it was Langer who replaced Flower as the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants in 2023. Now all eyes are on the next decision of ECB. If Justin Langer decides to step away from his franchise responsibilities, he may soon take over as the new head coach of the England Test team.