Mark Butcher believes that England’s Test coaching job must take precedence if, at all, Andy Flower is in contention to take over the role.
On the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Mark Butcher was not too sure of how Andy Flower would hold on to his coaching job at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after becoming the head coach of England’s Test team.
Flower is reportedly the frontrunner to replace Brendon McCullum as England’s head coach in Test cricket. It has also been reported that he would continue to work with RCB at the same time.
In 2027, England’s home summer is expected to clash with the IPL. The Test team is likely to play a one-off Test match against Bangladesh in May before the Ashes gets underway in June.
In case Flower takes over the coaching role with the team while staying with the RCB, then he wouldn’t be with the Test team, not only for the one-off Test against Bangladesh but also for two months in the lead-up to the Ashes at home.
“We're all assuming that it's going to be Andy Flower and that he will continue,” Butcher said. “If it is him, he will continue to work with RCB. I think, regardless of the world that we live in, that the job of the England Test coach needs to take precedence for the ECB. I'm not saying that it takes precedence over everything in the world, but it needs to take precedence for the ECB when it comes to the appointment that they are about to make. If Andy Flower is the man that they're after and if the provisos for him are that he stays in post with RCB, I don't see how those two things marry up at all.”
Butcher added that the infamous fallout between Flower and Kevin Pietersen had been over the IPL. Flower, named England’s full-time head coach in April 2009, was in disagreement with Pietersen, who was an advocate for English players participating in the IPL. On the other hand, Flower and the ECB believed in prioritising the gruelling international calendar.
“I mean, the whole fallout between Flower and Kevin Peterson was over the IPL all those years ago, when Flower didn't want to give him dispensation to go and play in the IPL. As an England player, I don't see how you could possibly do it as an England coach. I really don't,” Butcher added further.
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