Stephen Fleming gave his first interviews since being appointed head coach of the England test side. The New Zealander succeeded his close friend Brendon McCullum.
Fleming was appointed England head coach on 30 July, but did not lead the side in the recent series where they were defeated by Pakistan; he watched the events from home. The head coach has never previously led a team in red-ball cricket. During his playing career, he was captain of New Zealand in 80 of the 111 test matches he played.
Fleming has a long-standing relationship with McCullum — they were teammates, friends, and business partners. McCullum's tenure at the head of the test side began with spectacular success, before turning into disappointment with a loss in the Ashes and his subsequent sacking this year. His side in the first summer defeated New Zealand and South Africa, and a memorable victory followed in Pakistan. However, they failed to win in any of the five tests against India and Australia.
Fleeting also addressed the availability of bowler Brydon Carse, confirming that he is available for selection. Carse had been investigated by the police following an incident in Derby. England's representatives have recently found themselves in a series of off-field issues: Harry Brook was involved in a fight with a bailiff in a nightclub, Ben Duckett was filmed in Australia in an obviously drunk state, and Stokes and Gus Atkinson breached the team's curfew.
Stokes surprised the football public in June with a retirement announcement. He had played under Fleming in the Indian Premier League, and Fleming revealed that he and Stokes had spoken earlier this week in Durham.
