Stephen Fleming has recruited James Foster and Eric Simons from Chennai Super Kings for his England Test backroom staff, as the ECB confirmed separate coaching set-ups for the red-ball and white-ball teams.
Stephen Fleming has gone straight back to the dressing room he knows best. England's incoming Test head coach has recruited two of his former Chennai Super Kings colleagues, James Foster and Eric Simons, to join his Test backroom staff ahead of this winter's tour of South Africa, ESPNcricinfo reported. The moves were confirmed on Monday by Rob Key, England Men's managing director, as the ECB named separate coaching set-ups for the Test and white-ball teams.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Test head coach | Stephen Fleming; first assignment is the tour of South Africa this winter |
| Test set-up | Fleming, Richard Dawson, Marcus Trescothick, James Foster, Eric Simons |
| White-ball head coach | Brendon McCullum; he continues in the role after being relieved of the Test job in July |
| White-ball set-up | McCullum, Sarah Taylor, Jeetan Patel, Tim Southee, Kevin Pietersen (specialist mentor) |
| From CSK | Eric Simons leaves the franchise after eight years with Fleming; Foster was CSK's fielding coach in 2026 |
| Spin-bowling lead | Richard Dawson joins as elite national spin bowling lead and leaves Glamorgan |
| Batting lead | Mike Yardy named elite national batting lead |
| Confirmed | Monday 12 October 2026, by Rob Key |
Fleming's CSK crew
Simons, a former head coach of South Africa, has spent the past eight years working with Fleming at CSK. Cricinfo understands he will leave the franchise to take up the England post. Foster, the former Essex and England wicketkeeper, served the franchise as fielding coach in the 2026 season.
Dawson swaps Glamorgan for the spin-bowling lead
Richard Dawson, Glamorgan's outgoing head coach, joins the red-ball set-up as England's elite national spin bowling lead. He had put his name forward for the England head coach job itself. Under Dawson, Glamorgan secured promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2025 and retained their top-flight status this year.
Rob Key summed the move up: "Our gain is Glamorgan's loss." Dawson said it was "a decision I haven't made lightly, and an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
Trescothick stays, McCullum keeps the white-ball reins
Marcus Trescothick is retained on the Test staff after overseeing a 3-0 series win against Pakistan during his summer stint as interim head coach. On the white-ball side, McCullum keeps a familiar look for the forthcoming tour of Australia: former New Zealand team-mates Jeetan Patel and Tim Southee, plus Sarah Taylor and Kevin Pietersen as specialist mentor.
Why the split
Key said the split teams were about giving both head coaches the people they trust, describing it as arming them with "the team [around you] that you think can deliver success". He also flagged that white-ball cricket will be a "big priority" in the coming months, with the 2027 50-over World Cup in South Africa on the horizon.
ESPNcricinfo confirmed the appointments on Monday. The BBC separately reported that Simons is expected to take up the Test bowling coach role. Read the full story on Cricinfo. Cricinfo.
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