Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes Andy Flower would be an excellent choice to replace Brendon McCullum as England’s Test coach, but feels there is little chance that the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach will walk away from his IPL commitments.

Flowers has since emerged as one of the early favorites for the role England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) severed ties with McCullum After a disappointing performance in Test cricket. Former England captain Nasser Hussain publicly supported Flower’s return, arguing that England needed to pay careful attention to the details that defined his previous spell in charge.

However, Karthik, who worked closely with Flower during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL 2026 title-winning campaign, believes Zimbabwe’s busy coaching calendar makes such a move difficult.

“In all seriousness, I think he would be a great candidate,” Karthik said on Sky Sports.

“Certainly he should be one of the names that has been thought about, but I would be very surprised if he took it, given where England are and also the busy schedule he has.”

Karthik pointed out that Flower has built his coaching career around franchise cricket over the years and questioned whether England could realistically accommodate his existing commitments, especially with the IPL overlapping with parts of the international calendar.

“I read an article that said England would be happy to accommodate the IPL and then the rest of Test cricket, but the schedule is like this… When Jacob Bethel didn’t turn up for the first Test, Jofra Archer was not available, it caused an uproar and a lot of people were saying, ‘Why? How is not a single player there?'”

Why can’t Andy Flower leave RCB?

Karthik said that Flower’s current contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore could become a major hurdle if England decide to pursue him.

“With Andy Flower, with the contract already signed with RCB, that would mean he would miss parts of all of them (Tests). Would it be OK for England in preparation for the Ashes if they don’t have a coach for one or two Test matches?” Karthik said.

“I heard there is a Test match against Bangladesh in May next year and if Andy Flower plays for RCB, that could also be a challenge.”

While Karthik had no doubts about Flower’s qualifications, he questioned whether the logistics would allow the former England coach to take up the role.

He said, “Is he good? Certainly. If not the best, he’s probably one of the best in the world. Will he have time? That’s the question. I would be very surprised if the answer is yes.”

Great England player Andy Flower wants

McCullum was removed from the Test coaching role after England’s poor form last year. After winning 11 of their first 13 Test matches after taking charge in 2022, England lost eight of their last 12 matches, including a heavy 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, prompting the ECB to end the Buzzball era.

Nasser Hussain has since urged managing director Rob Key to turn to FlowerWho led England to three Ashes series wins and the No. 1 position in the ICC Test rankings between 2009 and 2014.

ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould confirmed that while no formal contact has been made yet with any candidates, the board is expected to begin the recruitment process in the coming weeks. Gould also indicated that England are open to appointing a coach who will continue to work in franchise cricket, if it means appointing the best person for the position.

Despite that flexibility, Karthik believes it will be extremely difficult to balance the demands of the England Test team and a long-term IPL commitment with RCB, making Flower’s return to the England dressing room unlikely.

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