Andy Flower has ruled out the possibility of returning as the head coach of England's Test team, after Brendon McCullum was relieved of his red-ball duties earlier this month.

Flower was previously in charge of England in cricket's longest format between 2009 and 2014, a largely successful period that saw them win three Ashes series.

He was in charge for England's most recent Ashes win Down Under, as they memorably overcame Australia 3-1 in 2010-11 with Alastair Cook slamming a series-high 766 runs and James Anderson taking 24 wickets.

He has led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back Indian Premier League titles in the last two years and is set to take charge of the London Spirit for the 2026 edition of The Hundred.   

But the Zimbabwean had been linked with a return to Test cricket after McCullum was removed as England's coach in that format, while retaining control of the T20 and ODI teams.

McCullum first took charge of England's Test team in 2022 and initially won plaudits for instilling a high-risk, high-reward style of play that became known as 'Bazball'.

However, that approach increasingly came to be viewed as naïve after England were thumped 4-1 by Australia in the 2025-26 Ashes, with that away series also being overshadowed by off-pitch controversies involving several of the tourists' players.

And McCullum's successor in the Test job will not be Flower. Asked if he had ruled himself out of the running while speaking at a Spirit media, the 58-year-old said: "I have, yes.

"I have spoken with Rob [Key, managing director] at the ECB on that topic. The bottom line for me is I'm very happy in the work that I'm doing at the moment.

"I work for a couple of really good organisations, with really good teams around me, and I'm really comfortable with what I'm doing.

"I've worked with England before and I had an amazing time. I had the privilege to be England head coach and represent England a number of years ago and I remember those years really fondly.

"It would be a privilege for me or anyone else to be the Test coach. For me at this time, I'm really comfortable with what I'm doing and I'm going to stick with that."

Brendon McCullum will stand down as England Men’s Test Head Coach but continue to lead the England Men’s White Ball teams.

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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 12, 2026

Some have also argued that the decision to let McCullum coach the red and white-ball teams simultaneously from September 2024 onwards was a misguided one.

And while Flower would not be drawn into a criticism of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), he admits he would not have been able to carry out both roles. 

"I can't speak for other people, and it wouldn't be right for me to speak for the ECB, obviously," he said. "They'll have to make their own judgments on that. 

"For me, personally, I don't think I could have done both, especially with the IPL being held during the first couple of months of the English summer. 

"If I was England Test coach, I'd like to be here watching and interacting with the people I needed to watch and interact with, so for me, that wasn't a possibility."

England face India in a deciding ODI on Sunday, with that three-match series currently level at 1-1, before taking on Pakistan in a home Test series beginning on August 19.