Arabic version: فليمنغ يدعو إلى تطوير المواهب التدريبية الإنجليزية

According to BBC News, England’s new Test coach Stephen Fleming believes a national team should primarily be coached by a representative of that country. The New Zealander, appointed in July, said helping to develop English coaches will be a priority during his tenure.

Fleming will lead England for the first time in a three-match series in South Africa in December and January. He succeeds fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum as Test coach, while McCullum remains white-ball coach. Since 1999, Peter Moores and Chris Silverwood are the only Englishmen to have led England’s Test side, with Ashley Giles having a spell as white-ball coach.

His recently announced backroom staff includes former England opener Marcus Trescothick, former wicketkeeper James Foster and former spinner Richard Dawson. Jonathan Trott is due to begin a spell in charge of England Lions, while Trott and Dawson had both been in contention for the Test role. Fleming said county coaches and former England players could also be invited into the set-up at times.

Fleming said he will spend part of next summer watching county cricket before the home Ashes series. He visited counties in September and has previously played for Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Middlesex. England’s squad for South Africa is due to be named in the first week of November.

Looking ahead to February’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh, Fleming said spin could be important. Shoaib Bashir was the only specialist red-ball spinner on England’s list of fully centrally contracted players, while Mason Crane and Liam Patterson-White received development deals. Fleming described the Derbyshire player’s position as “continuity”, while noting that other spinners could compete for opportunities in suitable conditions.