Will Andy Flower leave RCB if he becomes England's Test coach?

Andy Flower is one of the front-runners to become England’s new Test coach.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has sacked Brendon McCullum’s as the Test coach. The decision was taken following Test captain Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket and England‘s 1-2 defeat against New Zealand in the home Test series last month.

Although McCullum has been removed as Test coach, he will continue to guide the ODI and T20I teams till the end of his contract in 2027. After Brendon’s ouster, the ECB are looking for a new coach in the longest format and former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower is one of the top contenders.

Flower has experience as a member of the England cricket team’s coaching staff. He was the head coach of the team from 2009 to 2014. He was appointed as the all-format head coach in 2009. After the ECB split the coaching roles in 2012, he remained the Test coach until his resignation in 2014.

During his tenure, Flower guided England to the top of the ICC Test rankings in 2011 and won the Ashes thrice in 2009, 2010-11, and 2013. Under the guidance of coach Flower, England also won their first ICC title by triumphing at the 2010 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies.

After parting ways with the England Team, Flower had multiple successful coaching stints in franchise T20 leagues. He is currently the head coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL. Under his guidance, RCB won their maiden title in IPL 2025 and successfully defended it in the 2026 edition.

Will Flower have to leave RCB if he takes up England’s Test coach role?

According to an ESPN report, the ECB is set to make changes to their current coaching setup and will allow the next Test coach to hold dual roles in both the IPL and the England team.

Since the IPL runs for only two months a year and England players also actively participate in the tournament, the ECB might approve Flower taking on a dual role.

Moreover, England’s test schedule does not usually overlap significantly with the IPL, which is another crucial reason why the ECB are ready to make changes to their current coaching regulations.

Therefore, if Andy Flower is appointed as the next test coach of England, he would not be required to part ways with the RCB.

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