TimesofIndia.com in London: Former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer has emerged as the leading contender to become England’s next Test head coach after Brendon McCullum was sacked from the role 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 with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred. Strong indications suggest Langer could part ways with LSG and discussions with the ECB will unfold in the coming days.TimesofIndia.com also understands that former India head coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid are not in contention for the role. While both highly respected figures were briefly linked with 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 begins next month, with Langer firmly in pole position if contractual hurdles can be resolved.Earlier, Andy Flower, who is currently coaching London Spirit in The Hundred and guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to back-to-back IPL titles, ruled himself out of the race.Langer took over as Lucknow Super Giants head coach in 2023 after succeeding Flower. He also coaches Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred. If approached by the ECB, he will have to decide whether to accept the England role and leave his franchise commitments, remain exclusively in franchise cricket, or attempt to balance both responsibilities. Flower faced a similar choice and opted to continue in franchise cricket.McCullum finished his tenure as England’s Test coach with a record of 27 wins, two draws and 20 defeats. England’s form dipped sharply towards the end of his stint, with the team losing seven of its last nine Tests. His tenure both began and ended with home series against his native New Zealand. It started with a commanding 3-0 sweep in 2022 and concluded with a series defeat last month.“I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together,” McCullum had said after being sacked.“There have been some unbelievable highs and a few tough days along the way, but that’s all part of taking on a challenge like this. It’s been a privilege and an honour, and I’m grateful. Grateful to the players, the staff and the fans who 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 backing the boys, with a smile on my face, and hoping they keep taking the game on. I know they’ll continue to make people proud.”
