Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik they believe Andy Flower he will be victorious to win Brendon McCullum as England’s Test head coach but feels that the Zimbabwean will not leave the IPL because of his previous record.England are on the hunt for a new Test coach after McCullum stepped down after a disappointing performance in red-hot cricket. Although he will continue to manage the white ball teams in England, the Test team is looking for a new leader after the ‘Bazball’ era.Flower, who previously led England to the top of the ICC Test and their last Ashes victory in Australia, has emerged as one of the names linked with the job. However, Karthik he believes balancing England’s Test calendar with Flower’s stint at RCB could prove to be very difficult.“Overall, I think he will be a good fit,” Karthik said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.“He should be one of the names being considered, but I’d be very surprised if he took it, considering where England have their packed schedule. They were playing a lot of games, and I’m sure they didn’t have time. I read an article that said England would be happy to host the IPL and then all the Test cricket, but that’s the schedule. [it’ll be very difficult]. Like, when Jacob in Bethel did not come to the first Test, Jofra Archer Not being available, it caused a debate, and there were a lot of people saying, ‘Why? How come one of the players is not there?’Karthik also questioned whether England would accept their Test coach missing a game in the IPL, pointing to Flower’s commitment to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.“It’s Andy Flower, it’s a contract he’s already signed with RCB, which means he’ll miss both sides. [Tests]. Will it be better for England in preparation for the Ashes if they don’t have a Test match coach or two? I heard that there is a test match against Bangladesh in May next year, and if Andy Flower is doing RCB, this could be a tough one. “Despite his concerns, Karthik had no doubts about Flower’s coaching credentials.“Is he good? Definitely. He is probably one of the best in the world, if not the best. Will he have time? That is the question. I would be very surprised if the answer is yes,” he said.Flower joined RCB ahead of the 2024 IPL season on a three-year deal and has remained an integral part of the franchise’s coaching setup. Although he is among the contenders to replace McCullum, Karthik believes that the demands of international cricket and the commitment of franchises make it difficult to consider.
