The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed the National Lead Coaching Structure and full coaching staff for both the England Men's Test and white-ball teams. The new arrangements take effect from the upcoming Test tour of South Africa and the white-ball tour of Australia respectively.
Two newly created National Lead roles have been filled as part of the announcement. Mike Yardy steps in as Elite National Batting Lead, while Richard Dawson has agreed to take on the Elite National Spin Bowling Lead position. Troy Cooley, who took up his duties earlier this year, continues in the Elite National Pace Bowling Lead role, completing a specialist support structure across all three disciplines for both formats. Together, the three National Lead appointments are intended to provide consistent specialist input across batting, spin bowling and pace bowling for both the Test and white-ball environments as England prepare for a demanding period of international cricket.
Who will support Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum in their coaching teams?
Stephen Fleming, appointed as England Men's Test Head Coach, will be supported by a coaching group comprising Richard Dawson, Marcus Trescothick, James Foster and Eric Simons.
Foster brings a broad range of international and franchise experience to the role. A former England wicketkeeper, he served as a white-ball consultant coach with the England Men's side from 2018 to 2022, after which he moved into the New Zealand Men's setup. His franchise portfolio includes a stint as head coach of the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, as well as coaching engagements in the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League and Bangladesh Premier League.
Simons adds further international pedigree to the Test backroom. A former head coach of South Africa Men, he has also contributed to the India Men's setup as a bowling consultant. His association with Fleming stretches back through their time together at Chennai Super Kings from 2018 to 2026, and he currently holds an assistant coaching position at Joburg Super Kings in the SA20.
Brendon McCullum's white-ball coaching group will feature Sarah Taylor, Jeetan Patel and Tim Southee, with Kevin Pietersen attached to the setup in a mentor capacity.
What does Richard Dawson bring back to the England coaching setup?
Dawson's reappointment to the national structure follows a two-year spell leading Glamorgan, during which he guided the Welsh county into Division One of the Rothesay County Championship through promotion in 2025 and then helped them consolidate their place in the top tier in 2026.
His history within the England system is extensive. He has previously held the positions of England Lions head coach, England Under-19s head coach and England Elite Pathways coach, giving him a thorough grounding in the development pipeline that feeds into the senior sides. That accumulated experience across the pathway and county game makes him a well-placed figure to provide specialist spin bowling guidance across both the Test and white-ball environments.
